


Removed

by HibernalBeast



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Gore, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Horror, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Pacifist Route, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:56:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 108,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6539995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HibernalBeast/pseuds/HibernalBeast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the monsters finally break the barrier and arise from Mount Ebott, Sela finds herself in a new situation. She had thought the mountainside to be a haven of solitude, only to find herself getting new neighbors. Will she keep herself closed off everything like she had planned to, or will her world be irrevocably turned upside down?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginnings

# Removed

## Chapter 1

### The Beginnings

To say that the peace of the mountain was gone, would have been a ridicilous understatement. 

Sela scoffed as she read the newspaper. It was yesterdays, fetched from her mailbox early in the morning, when she noticed that the distributer was driving like a madman on the usually nearly deserted road she lived on. 

It wasn't the usual time to deliver the newspaper so she was naturally intrigued. What was so important that they had to deliver this in the middle of the night? The answer was monsters. Of all the possible things, monsters! 

Sela turned the page, sipping her morning tea. 

Monsters had spewed out of the Mount Ebott and now that surely was some news alright, but she could feel the anxiety bubbling in her gut. 

The paper stated that the monsters were being held at the mountain as they tried to wrap their human minds around the fact that there even were monsters in the first place.  
Sela herself had doublechecked that she hadn't landed in a weird dream or that it wasn't april fools day or something. 

Upon turning on her tv, her doubts had been erased away. She glanced warily to the flatscreen situated on a dark wooden table in her cosy livingroom. They were running the braking news all the time now. She regocnized the place the monster were being held. It was the rather empty looking lot, with the rangerstation, only few miles from her home. 

Needless to say the traffic on the road had been rather busy since.  
All kinds of tv stations, reporters, officials, police and even military had been flying by. And of course random people, likely going there to oggle the monsters. She was highly annoyed, since she hadn't had a moment of sleep for a whole day.

She put the paper down and shut her tv. There was absolutely nothing she could do to ease her tension and the news weren't helping in that regard. 

She slumped on her couch, thinking hard. She wasn't exactly afraid of the monsters. In the news they seemed as perplexed as the people milling around.

Sure, they looked weird on the human standards, but they hadn't eaten anyone alive, yet at least. She was more concerned about the fact that all the reports said that they would probably be staying on the mountainside.  
Government promised them the wilds, since pretty much no one lived here and she was one of the very few who actually stayed here through the year. 

She had had to yank the telephone cord off the wall, since the reporters had realised there was someone living so near the heart of the action. 

They wanted her statements and opinions and god knows what and she was having none of that. The constant damn ringing was still playing on a loop in her head. She was SO happy her lot had a fence and her driveway had a gate that she could close.  
Not that it stopped people sometimes parking infront and trying to get her attention. She just closed the blinds. She didn't want to talk to them. 

There was a good reason she lived here and it damn sure wasn't for people to take interest in her and trying to get to talk to her. She wanted to be alone. She wanted peace and quiet. She wanted ..serenity. 

Sela sighed mightily and got up, wandering to her upstairs bedroom to try and get some sleep, despite everything.

\---

Sans was so tired.  
So tired he almost fell asleep on his feet while the others were talking for the umptheenth time since they had gotten up on the surface. 

He wasn't that concerned with the politics of the situation. He was still waiting for everything to backpedal right to the underground, him waking up to Papyrus waking him up and he himself wallowing into the downward spiral of despair. 

He had hard time believing it would last very long, so he wasn't all that invested. 

He could feel his brother trying to nudge him awake but he just sighed heavily, opening his other eyesocket to watch Papyrus. 

He was beaming of course, he was always beaming with energy and happines and whatnot.  
Toriel and Asgore were negotiating with the human officials who were still looking absolutely dumbstruck and Frisk was tucked into Toriels lap. The child was asleep, and Sans could only imagine how exhausted they were. 

He had almost expected the humans to just gun them down, but miraculously they had only half quarantined them on the rangerstations lot. 

There wasn't much space in there, but military had set up tents for everyone that wanted to be up. 

Not everyone wanted. 

No matter how much the monsters had been waiting for the magical barrier to be broken and them to be set free, it was a huge change, best taken slowly. Sans understood it. At least everyone was able to get up now, if they wanted. He was almost tempted himself to go home and sleep. But he knew that wether he liked it or not, he was needed here.

Finally the morning meeting was over and they got to have a small break from everything. 

Papyrus unceremoniously snatched him off his feet into his arm as they walked back to the tent where they had set up a kitchen and space to sit and eat. 

”SANS, YOU LAZYBONES. WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO WHAT THEY WERE SAYING?” Papyrus shook him lightly, getting a slight chuckle out of him and everyone else.

”Naw. I'm bonetired. And I don't have the ears for all of that endless talking.” He yawned as he sat down on a bench as Papyrus threw his arms up in annoyance. 

”You should pay a little attention. We were discussing the prospect of being able to have a more stable housing in the following months.” Asgore sounded pleased. 

Sans' white pupils drifted to the King, serving them tea, like he wasn't royalty at all. Not that he even held much regard for being treated like one all the time. It was still something the humans had a hard time wrapping their minds around. 

”Well. As long as I get to relax somewhere, I'm happy with it.” He was fiddling with his fingers inside the blue hoodie he always wore. 

”Bah, you would!” Undyne was laughing. 

”BUILDING A NEW HOME SOUNDS LIKE LOTS OF FUN!” 

”Sounds like a lot of work to me.” Sans winked. Papyrus was oblivious and ranting to Undyne about what he wanted the new home to look like. 

”I-I think th-this a-a-a-all has gone be-better than expected.” Alphys came to sit by him, sounding a little nervous, but still quite happy too. 

She had been talking so much to the human officials and scientists lately, that Sans was pretty amazed she hadn't gotten over her stuttering and shyness yet. Maybe she never would. 

Alphys had tried to get him to talk to the researchers and science people from Ebott University too, since she let it slip that he had been her co-worker in the past, but Sans had shut that idea down quickly. 

He used the excuse that he was busy with keeping eye on Papyrus and assisting the King, not that he did that either. 

It had worked tho, and that was all that mattered to him. It was hard trying to juggle the gnawing anxiety and worry about a possible reset while at least trying to look the part to be an exited monster on the surface. Luckily most just chalked it up to him being lazy. 

”It's been alright. Tibia honest I have to wonder how long it will last.” He finally said.

Asgore nodded, solemnly. ”I hope that it will stay that way. It is best to take things slowly, but I have high hopes for the future.”

Toriel nodded absentmindedly. She was holding Frisk tightly to herself, lulling the sleeping child still. It was a small wonder that she agreed with Asgore without a reminding glare. It was good that she had Frisk to take care of. There wasn't an inch of magic in her body that wasn't motherly, and now she finally had someone to dote on for such a long time. 

Not that the humans hand't tried to take Frisk away from her, but they all, along Frisk, had put their feet down on that. 

Frisk wanted to stay with Toriel, who they stated was their mother and the human officials hadn't found any relatives for the child. 

It was rather bizarre, but Sans had expected as much. Frisk had never talked about their life on the surface, before falling to the underground.  
With all the hundreds upon hundreds of resets Sans couldn't even tell how long time ago Frisk had actually originated from.  
Time and resets were a tricky thing in that regard and Frisk had never said anything about that either. Sans suspected, that their life hadn't been that great. Why else would a child of nine years wander up a damn mountain that was supposedly cursed?

He tried to pry his mind off of the rather bleak subject and concentrate on something else. 

He got up and wandered lazily outside the tent. Soaking up the sunlight beaming through the high trees. Even if there was constant buzzing of people and monsters milling about, he found the warmth incredibly soothing. 

He could enjoy that much, even with the constant worry ripling in his mind like a tide. Enjoy it while it lasts, he thought and plopped down near a treetrunk, in a sunny spot, much like a cat.


	2. Nightmares

_It was dark. Dark, darker, yet darker._

_She was running, or trying to.  
It was so hard, every limb felt like they weighed a ton and the ground was mud that stuck to her feet, with all the intention to suck her down ..somewhere. _

_There was a horrible feeling in her gut as she tried to look behind her if she was still being pursued._

_She couldn't see anything in the all encompassing darkness, but she felt it on her trail. Like a bloodhound. She almost felt the hot breath on her back as she tried to scream but nothing came out._

_She almost felt the elongated arms scratching at her back, trying to get a hold of her shirt._

_It was so hopeless, so hopeless she almost wanted to stop running but no, she couldn't._

_The fear drove her feet, even with the weight of the world layed on them._

_She more sensed the doorway somewhere infront of her before she actually saw the faint glimmer of the light. The hope of salvation that rose inside her prickled her eyes like tears, threathening to spill over. She had to get to that light, she had to._

_She could hear the wail of the thing pursuing her break the monotony of her labored breathing and it raised all the hairs in her skin in its wake._

_It was getting closer!_

_She fought onwards, trying her damnest to get ahead but suddenly she saw the blackness, the absolute void of everything opening up under her like a horrible, bleeding wound._

_She couldn't stop her movement and she slipped screaming into the black, trying to claw at the muddy, slippery edge in despair._

_No! She screamed as hard as she could, trying, trying, trying._

_She could feel the endless black trying to suck her in, horror rising up her throath._

_Suddenly something snagged her arm, hard fingers digging into her flesh as she raised her gaze to the saviour._

 

She woke to her own scream, ringing in the room like a siren. 

Sweat had wet her blanket and the darkness in the room seemed alive with something as she tried to breathe. 

She couldn't even turn on her bedside lamp, she was completely paralyzed with horror as she gasped on the verge of tears, feeling still like a ton of weight was planted on her. It was still too early for any light to come through and she could just feel she wasn't alone in the room. 

Everything looked ominous, dangerous and alien to her. Then she saw it. There was something. 

Her breathing hitched and stopped. Her arms and legs were shivering, as she tried her damnest to run. She needed to run! Now!

From the darkness the impossibly tall, thin, spiderylooking thing was stalking in the corner of the room, she could feel its malevolent eyes on her. She could almost hear it breathing oddly in the night. 

She had to move! But there was nothing she could do to make it happen.  
Her mind was reeling and the thing came nearer. 

NO! Nononononononononononono!! 

This couldn't happen, this couldn't be real! It felt too raw and too real to deny and she choked as the thing slid even nearer. It was just utter blackness, pooling from the darkness in the room, like it was sucking all of it inside it like a sponge. Her heart was thundering so loud, it was the only thing she could hear.

THUMP THUMP THUMP it pounded on her ribs like the fucking thing wanted out of its confines. 

The black figure was next to her bed and she couldn't turn her gaze, not even close her eyes, as it leaned its massive lenght to her, bending at the middle oddly. It looked wrong and felt even more wrong.

_TOO CLOSE, NO!!_ She couldn't.

It had no face, but she could see its mouth opening to a jagged, horrible smile that made her finally loose her consciousness.

Sela woke when the workers started to bulldoze the trees in the neighboring lot. 

Sun was already high but it did little to ease her mind. It was still so hard to breathe, the fear prickling her insides like needles. Shit, she hadn't seen that nightmare in ages. Or had the sleep paralysis. 

She carefully rose from the bed, sheets still damp from her sweating. She could feel it clinging to her body like the fear and she went to the shower, trying to wash herself, hoping vainly that the fear would leave too. 

It was just a nightmare, just another attack. She would live through. 

Even with the warmth of the shower on her skin, the darkness was still inside her, icy cold. 

She wiped the mirror, seeing her deathly pale face making her feel even worse. 

Well this was a fucking great day, surely.  
She knew she had to go down to the town to get food and suplies but she knew she would be a nervous wreck the whole day, probably. 

These were the times when she truly didn't appreciate her lonely lifestyle that much. She would have given pretty much anything to have someone do the run for her today. 

When she headed downstairs to brew some tea, she couldn't help but peek around the corners, skulking like a fucking burglar in her own home. It just felt so.. unsafe. 

Her hands were trembling terribly when she held the cup to her chest. Maybe a cigarette would ease her mind, she thought, as she stepped out to the early summer warmth of July on her porch. 

For once she actually was happy for the ruckus just few hundreds of feet away, she felt a little less lonely for that. She even managed a wry smile at the thought, shit, she was one pathetic idiot, wasn't she. 

It had been two months, since the monsters had came up and finally the government had pulled through with the promise of actual homes, instead of tents.

Sela wasn't too happy for the prospect of ANY neighbors, but she didn't think it was a bad thing for the monsters to get some recognition to be part of humanity, so to speak. 

Besides, there had been alot of bumbs in the road. 

Most people were afraid of the odd creatures and it didn't surprise Sela one bit.  
People could be real shits to each others, even more if you were different. 

So it was almost single mindedly settled that the monsters were given land on the slopes of Mount Ebott to build on. 

Comfortably away from the town and the fearfull people, uncomfortably close to Sela.

She had entertained a thought about moving but she had a real stubborn streak in her.  
This was her home. She had been here first. At least on the surface. Besides, the house and the lot and the small portion of forest that she owned was everything that was left of her family, she wouldn't give it up, no matter how many monsters she had to live next to. She would do. And keep to herself, like always. 

Musing to herself, trying to shake of the remnants of the nightmarish night she had endured, she slinked back inside, resolute on buying a bottle of scotch to soothe her wrecked nerves.

 

”BROTHER WE ARE OUT OF SPAGHETTI NOODLES!” 

Sans woke with a start.  
”Oh.. We better get down to the shop then.” He smiled fondly to the lanky skeleton hastily throwing on his more normal clothes. 

It had been hard to get him to wear anything besides that armor, but time after time it had been made clear that he was way too intimidating to people wearing it.

And if Papyrus was something, it was friendly – he wanted passionately to make a good impression on the people they came across. 

It had been just a month ago that the quarantine had been lifted, and they had been able to venture to the town by themselves. 

There was a hasty guideline made by the human officials with King Asgore and Toriel, that the monsters would not use magic while they were in the town. Although Sans hadn't always kept that promise. It was a guideline afterall, forged for the humans to ease their mind. 

There was still alot to agree upon on official lines but Asgore had deemed that there was no hurry, as long as things were moving along at their pace. 

They had even been able to start building the houses, after the government had issued them parts of the land on the mountain. 

Sans and Papyrus had settled on a plot next to a rather reclusive human, one of the only ones to live up there. 

Sans was sure he hadn't even seen the person ever, which was pretty weird to say the least, but as long as they didn't have complaints, he was fine with it. 

Papyrus was of course happy as a clam to have a neighbor, besides Undyne and Alphys, who had started on their house next to them. 

Toriel and Frisk were situated closer to the town, with Asgore just few lots of them. 

Even Grillby had started the constructions on a new place next to the rangerstation, which was becoming a small officebuilding for the monster rights and official activities, as for a checkpoint for the people who traversed between underground and surface. 

The first two to four weeks had been incredibly straining for everyone, even more so for Sans who still was pretty suspicious that things would actually move on. 

He had had conversations with Frisk about it. The child, who seemed much wiser for their appearance, was after all the only one who remembered everything with him. 

Frisk had told that it was over, that there would be no more resets and that everything had been done right this time, but it was hard to believe. 

Sans couldn't tell if it was a treasure or a tragedy that he had mastered his art in deception to hide his fear and weariness. Gues time would really tell. He knew he had no power over the whole situation anyway. He could only hope, keep an eye on the child and try to keep Papyrus happy.  
It would still be almost a month that their house would be ready and in the meantime they were still cooped up in the tents. 

Sans sighed as he strode in Papyrus's wake to the soldier posted in the rangerstation, solely to drive the monsters to and from place to place. 

They hadn't yet given permissions to obtain drivers licences so they could drive, but it was on the table at least. 

”I CAN'T WAIT TO GET MY LISENCE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PESTER THE SOLDIER-HUMAN FOR RIDES.” Papyrus mused as they neared the station.

”Yeah. Then you can finally get that convertible and feel the wind in your hair.” Sans laughed. 

Papyrus had not shut up about his dream for one day, and Sans loved to irk his brother with the fact that he had no hair for the wind to toussle.  
Papyrus just nodded and laughed alongside, not much could get his brother down, which was a blessing. 

Many monsters were a bit more unpatient on things as them. Like Undyne. She preferred to just run to town, than to ask for a ride. She was just too proud and deadset on getting her own ride. 

Money luckily wasn't an issue for them, since humans absolutely loved gold and theirs was as good as pure.

They might have been swindled out of their currency if Asgore would have not addressed the issue with the government. 

They had happily accounted the gold and estimated it's worth and the funds were distributed accordingly among the monsters. They had it pretty good on that aspect, at least. 

As Sans and Papyrus arrived at the station, the soldier there greeted them warmly. 

He was quite a nice man and had warmed up to the monsters almost immediately and was more than happy for his position. 

It made the trips to the town more tolerable, if some people tried to harass them. 

Sans hoped that when they could make their own trips, the people would have calmed down enough and gotten used to them there. Still, he wasn't overly confident in that.

”Need a lift, boys?” The man smiled warmly, putting his newspaper down on the lightly scuffed desk, where he spent his downtime.

”Yep. Need to run to the store for some grub.” 

The mans name was Thomas and he was almost as tall as Papurys, a bit round on the waist and friendly looking, despite his military get-up. Sans estimated the guy to be in his early forties, he hadn't asked really. 

Thomas nodded and got up and led them to the large SUV he drove them around in. 

The drive was pleasant, Sans nodding with one eye open, Papurys and Thomas discussing the houseprojects and the joys of being a soldier (Papyrus loved to hear his military stories and combat practises, Nyeh'ing and Wowie'ing in between Thomas's stories) and culinary arts. 

As they rolled to the stores small parking lot, Sans couldn't help but notice the familiar looking car there. He was pretty sure no one else had that color car, as it was the only purple one he had seen. 

The car was usually in their future neighbors driveway. Maybe they would finally get to see the person, who lived in the house.

 

Sela was skittish to say the least.  
No matter how hard she had tried, the nagging feeling from the morning wouldn't disperse and she was incredibly unhappy about it. 

It was a beautiful day. Birds were singing, early summers flowers were blooming and sun was shining happily on a clear blue sky, but it did nothing to ease her mind. 

She was perusing the narrow corridors with a basket in hand, trying to figure out just what the hell she had written on her shopping list. Shaking hands were not merciful on her writing abilities, what so ever. 

She was stuck picking up a package of noodles when she heard incredibly loud, nasally voice almost scream behind her. 

”I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS!” 

Who the hell yelled like that? It didn't sound like a child, even if it was somewhat childish to say, at least that enthusiastically. 

Sela shivered and turned as a deeper voice was heard chuckling to the borderline yelling.

”Tagliatelli the truth, I like the variety too.” 

Sela turned to a horrific sight. There was a huge skeleton monster standing almost right behind her, groaning painfully to the pun, yelling for his brother to just stop. 

Her eyes were wide as she almost shrieked, only managing to squeek miserably, falling on her behind.  
She was startled enough as it was, but the towering monster was standing way too close and there was something panging inside her heart at the sight she couldn't put her finger on. 

She was terrified, she could feel the cold sweat running down her back and her breath getting caught in her throath.

”Woah, you alright there, lady?” 

There was a another skeleton, presumably the brother the taller one was scolding, looking down at her. 

Sela shivered. His white pinprick of eyes had a odd expression, like he was staring right through her, somewhere inside her and she could feel all her muscles tightening up, waiting for something horrible to happen. 

The skeleton wore a grin, that was faltering a little, as she could hardly make out what the thing was saying, her blood rushing in her ears, drowning his deep, baritone voice out. His hand was extended and she eyed it in horror. 

”.. what?” She managed out weakly.

”Are ya alright? Sorry we startled ya.” His pupils were a little dialated, studying her sharply. 

”Uhh.. yea. Just surprised.” Sela stammered. 

The feeling of impending doom dissipating somewhat as he sounded rather apologetic. But there was still the lingering feel of terror, as she stayed down, watching the skeleton in thought. 

She recognized both of them from some of the pictures she had seen in the papers and news. 

Seeing monsters this close up still was totally different thing entirely. 

She took the hand hesitantly, not really knowing why she did. She didn't like people touching her. It was more for instinct than actually wanting to take it. 

The skeleton hoisted her up easily and she let out another undignified squeek. 

”Sans the skeleton. This' my bro, Papyrus.” 

The smaller, well smaller than his brother but actually a bit taller than she herself was, offered his hand again. 

Sela looked at the bony hand for a moment and despite herself took it, squeezing it lightly. To her surprise it was pretty warm, tho just as hard as she thought it would be. 

”Sela.” She said, surprising herself. 

She usually didn't like to tell her name or talk to people at all. It felt like her mouth was on autopilot or something. 

Maybe her rough night had just thrown her completely offkilter. Besides, it would have been incredibly rude not to return the favor, she wasn't completely clueless after all, despite her hermit ways. 

”Well.. I better.. eh.. get on with it then. Have a nice day.” She offered and turned to run away to another aisle. 

”You too.” He could hear the skeleton say, amusement heavy in his voice.

”GOOD BYE LADY HUMAN!” 

Sela cringed at the almost yell of the taller skeleton.

 

That was odd. Sela marched to her car, carrying her bags with vigor. 

The horrible feeling had dissipated almost entirely after the scare the brothers had dealt her, maybe she had needed that for the nightmare to loose its hold. Which was a funny thought. Like if someone startled you when you had the hiccups and they would miraculously stop.

She had heard the taller skeletons.. (Papyrus was it, like the damn font?) near yelling the whole time she had been in the store. 

Oh wait. Sans and Papyrus. Fonts. 

Sela deadpanned. It was too ridicilous. She shook the thought out. 

She wasn't too worried to run into them that much anyway, maybe it was okay she talked with them, even if it had made her a bit worried after the fact. 

She knew monsters liked to be almost overly friendly from the many articles she had came across and that made her even more nervous there was going to be monsters living right next door to her. 

It had been almost ten years being by herself, shutting herself effectively out of peoples way and a prospect of being friendly with anyone was a daunting thought. She barely coped with herself. 

She was loading her groceries in her car when she could just feel eyes on her. 

She glanced up at her task and noticed the skeleton brothers walking towards her, with a soldier in tow. She almost dropped her bag. 

”Well then, Sela. We will be seeing you alot more in the future.” Sans said, smirking like he knew something great. 

Papyrus clasped his hands together exitedly and let out a joyous ”NYEH!”

”Wh- what? Why?!” Sela gasped, taking a step back.

”We'll be your new neighbors.” The skeleton winked and laughed at her dumbfounded expression.

”HOW WONDERFULL! YOU MUST COME AND ENJOY MY EXPERTLY COOKED SPAGHETTI WITH US WHEN WE GET THE HOUSE READY!” 

Papyrus looked ecstatic enough to rival a classroom full of kindergarteners offered icecream. 

”Oh.. oh.” It was all she could manage to push out.

_Well shit._

 

On their way back to the tentcamp Sans was deep in thought. 

He was pretty mystified by the woman, who would be their neighbor.  
She didn't seem unpleasant, no, but she had been skittish, almost fearfull, which Sans could chalk up to just being surprised, but the thing that really threw him off was her soul. 

All monsters could sense human souls, draw them out, but souls were one of Sans' speciality as the Judge. 

He could see them bright and clear, the stats, everything. 

But Selas.. that was whole another thing. Something he had never, ever seen. Because he couldn't see it. She had one, she wasn't like Flowey, soulless, but it was like it was behind a sturdy wall that his gaze could not pierce. He hadn't ever heard of something like that.

Of all the many human souls he had seen while on the surface he had seen many kinds and learned something about adult humans.  
Unlike children, they did not wear their souls on their sleeves, so to speak. Adult souls were a bit more tricky in that regard. 

The many things people went through in life affected their souls as much as things affected their appearance. 

They might even try to hide it, even without the knowledge that they had something that could be manifested outside their bodies, but never had he seen anyone who had managed to do just that. 

It made him incredibly intrigued. Why had she hid it like that? Did she know she was doing it?

She hadn't seemed friendly, nor unfriendly for that matter. Even scared souls could be seen. 

Sans wondered if Papyrus had catched on the oddity of her soul. It sure was like a puzzle to be solved.

He couldn't help himself.

”So bro, whatcha think about our new neighbor?” 

”SHE SEEMED VERY NICE, ALTHOUGH A LITTLE SHY PERHAPS.” 

Papyrus rubbed his clavicle in thought. Sans knew his brother was more observant when he wanted to, despite appearing to be so childlike in many ways.

”I THINK SHE MIGHT JUST NEED MORE FRIENDS!” The skeleton offered knowledgeably.

”Yeah, ya might be just right, Pap.”

”I'M ALWAYS RIGHT!”

”Ya know it, Pap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me in the tumblr void  
> http://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/


	3. Visitations

After putting everything on their proper places Sela took her scotch bottle and poured herself a hefty drink. She didn't turn to alcohol that often, but damn, it was called for now.

So. Her new neighbors would be a pair of skeleton font brothers. Overly friendly ones. Shit. 

Sela drowned the drink and promptly poured another. 

She wasn't sure how to feel. Horrified? Worried? They had seemed nice alright, but what if they wanted to be friends with her?

She didn't know how she would do that. 

She was now 32 years old and she had been closed off of people for almost ten years, after losing her father, who had never been that close to her anyway, despite the fact that her mother had died when she was only three years old. 

Her father had raised her mostly alone, but had found a new wife when she was twelve, and after that, he hadn't been much interested in her. 

Sela had moved out after she turned 18 and worked odd jobs to get by. 

After her fathers death, by a stroke, she had herited his cabin up on the mountain, with the woods and half of his money. The other half went to his wife, who couldn't care less about her. 

With the savings and the sales of some of the woods she had deemed her finances were good enough to pretty much retire from the face of the earth to the cabin. 

It was far enough from any hustle and bustle that she could be by herself, like she wanted to. 

She had had friends, sure, but not that close ones and she hadn't kept in touch with anyone anymore. 

It wasn't that she hated people, she really didn't. 

She had always had trouble letting people near her, maybe because of her rough family life, partly for the reason that she was always the odd one out, even as a child. 

Not that she actually remembered that much of her childhood, and that was one of the problems she had to deal with. 

The empty spaces within spaces. 

Sela had asked her father, before he had died.   
Why couldn't she remember some things, why there were so many completely empty times in her mind. Why she had so many nightmares. Why she had so much.. problems. 

The answer was.. well it wasn't what she had visioned. 

Her father had confessed that he had given her to his brother, because he felt he couldn't raise her alone. It was a bitter confession. A bitter answer. 

Selas father had said, that after two years of not much contact or information he had found her on his stairs, looking extremely ill. 

His brother was found dead not long after, without any explanation. 

Police had been involved, as had child protection authorities. Nothing had been found. She had been a bit malnourished, very quiet, very closed up but nothing was wrong physically. 

After that her nightmares had begun. And her father had been too wound up in his guilt and selfloathing that he couldn't, didn't know how to just be there.

After that, it was just a spiral down to the very moment. 

Of course she had tried therapy. It just didn't do much, she had such a hard time even trying to trust grown ups that it seemed just impossible. 

Bitter indeed. 

Sela gulped down another shot. 

She had made this far by herself and damn it if she wouldn't do it to the very end. 

Sometimes she even didn't want to know what had happened. Did it matter anymore? What if it was just more bitternes to be swallowed down? 

She slumped on her couch, turning on the tv, watching something insignificant, just to pass the time. The scotch was burning nicely and hazing her emotions over even more nicely. Everything would be fine. It had to be.

 

She woke to a knock on the door. She tried hard to pry her eyes open but damn did they feel like they were led. The tv was still on, bathing the room in a electrical blue hue, it was already going dark outside. 

Who the hell was at her door at this time. 

She checked the clock. It was 10 p.m. She was pretty sure she had closed her gate when she returned from the town. 

Sela grumbled and entertained the thought that she wouldn't go for the door. 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

”Ghhh..... fiiiiine.” She wailed mutedly to herself and trudged to the door. 

She could make out someone standing in the shadow in her porch from the frosted glass on the door.

She gingerly opened the door to stare down the intruder. ”... Sans?” Sela fished quickly for the skeletons name and was mildly astonished she actually remembered it.

The skeletons pinprick eyes were watching her intently, smile plastered across his skull.   
He was wearing the same blue hoodie, lined with white, fluffy fur, black shorts and sneakers, as he had earlier. 

Sela wondered for a second if the hoodie wasn't a bit too warm for the weather but it was quickly drowned out by the slight annoyance coiling in her insides. 

What the hell was the skeleton doing here? She could see her gate was closed, did he climb over it?

”How did you get through my gate?” She snapped immediately, before the skeleton had a chance to say anything.

”Uhh, I've got my ways.” He offered with a wink, managing at the same time to look a bit apologetic, which was a miracle in itself, Sela realised. 

”So.” 

Sela crossed her arms and stared at Sans, brows furrowed lightly. She could feel the scotch still giving her a bit more sass than usually. 

”Well. I was just skullking around, and saw your tv on so I thought ya might be up still, and wondered if perhaps you'd be a bit bonely.” The skeleton laughed a bit. 

Did he just dish two puns? Sela narrowed her eyes. Sans started to sweat.

She really didn't know what to say to that. Overly friendly, indeed!

”And since we're gonna be neighbors, I thought I'd stop by to say hello.” The skeleton went on.

Sela didn't know what possessed her to open the door wider and inviting the monster inside. He did look kinda pathetic, sweating nervously on her porch.

”Ahh.. um well. Can I offer you a nightcap?”

Sans smiled even wider, if possible and stepped inside. 

”Sure, why not.”

Sela lead him to the kitchen and got out an glass, all the while thinking what the hell was she doing. 

”Cosy home.” Sans remarked, sitting down on a chair across from her. 

She poured him a drink and herself another one.

”Ya hit the bottle often?”

”Rarely.” 

”Any special occasion then?” 

”Aren't you a nosy person.” Sela squinted her eyes to the skeleton who laughed, his voice was very soothing. It was a strange thing. 

”Gotta make up not having a nose with something, ya know?” 

Sela snorted, despite her trying to be cold. Maybe she was still a bit intoxicated from earlier.  
Sans seemed to perk up, smiling happily.

”No I don't drink that often. I'm not a raging alcoholic if you're worried about that.” She finally said. 

She fidgeted with her glass, realising that it had been eight years since anyone had been inside her home and it made her incredibly nervous.

”'S good, s'not my business. I'm just a worried big brother.. aaand since we are going to be living next door..” He didn't finish his sentence. Sela got it.

”So you're the older brother. Somehow that doesn't surprise me.” 

”Oh?” 

Sans lifted his browbone and Sela catched herself wondering how the hell was a skeleton that expressive. 

”Uh.. you just give off that vibe, maybe. I don't know.. I'm.. I'm not that good with people. Sorry.” 

Sela could feel her face getting flushed. Shit, talking to people was hard. 

”Am I that frightening?” Sans seemed very amused, his voice dipping even lower.

Sela snapped her face towards the skeleton, eyes wide and face absolutely red.

”No!”

”I.. ahh.. I just don't tend to.. talk to people that.. often. At all.” Why the hell was she telling him this? 

”Yeah I heard you're like the town hermit. Does it bother ya that monsters are gonna live next to ya?” 

Was he trying to make you racist or something? Sela caught her stare wavering.

”..It's not that.” She didn't elaborate.

 

Sans sighed. He really had to tone it down. He knew he was grilling you, intentionally. He was becoming more and more intrigued by the minute. 

Sela didn't seem bad spirited, nor that rude. She genuinely seemed to have trouble just being around anyone, something that reminded him from Alphys. 

Only thing was, he still could not grasp even a small glimpse of her soul. It was driving him nuts. He had thought, that if he talked to the woman some more, maybe she would open up a bit, like most people. 

They either showed a small sliver, be it hateful or friendly.   
He could only read her expressions and the way she spoke, missmatched in timidness and brash.   
It was an interesting concoction.

”Well I do have to warn ya. Papyrus loves being friendly and befriend everyone in his near proximity. He's just that kinda guy, he doesn't know how to tone that down. So ya uh.. might wanna prepare for that.” He sipped his drink.

Sela looked incredibly nervous at his words, wringing her hands on the table. Quickly she downed her drink and poured herself another. He should take her to Grillby's when it was finished. Wait.  
Why did he think that?

Sans scratched his skull absentmindedly.

He was watching Sela intently waiting for her to say something. 

Her eyes were fluttering from side to side, like she was measuring the table. They were greenish, bordering on blue. He desided it was a nice color. 

He catched himself staring at her lips, as she worried the bottom lip a bit between white teeth. 

What the hell was wrong with him? Sans swallowed, even if he didn't have a throath.   
This whole situation was taking radically weird and fast turns. 

”I can.. try.” She finally said. Sounding a bit unsure of herself.

Well, that was better than nothing, Sans thought and nodded.   
”Well I think I've taken your time enough.. Thanks for the drink, Sela.” 

Sans put the glass down carefully. He didn't really want to go but he could see her weirded out expression and he certainly didn't want to outstay his welcome.

Sela saw him to the door and wished him good night, with a timid voice.

When she closed her door, Sans used a shortcut back to the camp. Just like he had done when he got here.

Sans was actually rather relieved to find most monsters were already asleep, Papyrus included. He wanted some alonetime to think. His mind was working furiously on Sela and the odd thoughts he'd been having. There sure was something oddly alluring in her, that he could not put his finger on.

 

Sela could have screamed. 

What the fuck was that all about?? 

She shivered from the sudden cold feeling creeping down her spine – coupled with hot flushes from the drinks she had drowned. This day was just one thing after the other, wasn't it? 

She hoped that at least the night would go well and that she would get some sleep in.

With that thought she desided it was best to just hit the hay and be done with today.

After putting everything in their place and checking her doors and doing her regular evening routines she crashed on her bed, relieved for the comforting silence that permiated the whole house.  
With the haze from the scotch she soon found herself slipping into a blissfull sleep.

 

Sela found herself waking in the middle of the night yet again. Waking against her own will, groggy first but she soon felt the ominous darkness, more than darkness enveloping the whole room. 

She couldn't move. No, not again!

She tried to see but there was nothing, not even the shadowlike creature that had loomed over her the night before.

She desperately wanted to turn on her light but there was nothing she could do but wait for the inevitable to happen. She would have screamed, had she been able to, when she felt the shifting behind her in her bed.

There was someone in her fucking bed!!

Now that she was alerted to the fact, she could almost hear the breathing of the thing. 

Her skin raised to goosebumps and she could feel the weight shifting closer to her. 

Sela shut her eyes closed, trying to will herself to do something. Nothing responded. Another fucking sleep paralysis. 

_You're just imagining this. It's only brain not working properly. There is NO ONE in this bed with you._

Her mind was reeling with terror. She was forcing herself to breathe evenly.

Then it hit her. 

She could feel ..something. Something trying to invade her thoughts and in her minds eye she had the sudden impression of shadowy tendrils wafting from the form behind her, skimming her hairs and skin. Trying to get inside her head. Trying to get inside her mind.

Cold sweat rose to her brow, Sela gritted her teeth and refused. She wouldn't have any of this. She had not asked for any of this! No!

_No! Not here! No! Not here!_

It was all she could hold onto. Turning the simple mantra into a wall of sheer will. 

It was still incredibly hard to fight the feeling. She could feel the blackness licking up her determination to not let her fear get the better of her. 

First it seemed almost careful but then she could feel the horrible feeling strengthening and she could feel the anger of the thing ramming against her defenses.

Sela wasn't sure how long she had to keep up the almost impossible task amidst her horror. 

The silent battle seemed to go on forever, untill she could feel the thing just dissipating into nothingness. 

Sela couldn't even feel happy from her exhaustion, she just tumbled back into dreamless sleep right away.

 

It was the last nightly attack Sela had to endure for three whole weeks. She was so relieved, even when she was nervous to go to sleep in the following nights. 

At least the fear soon felt stupid, she was completely convinced that it was just all the new things, with the monsters and neighborhood changing that had landed those experiments for her. Even if she still was apprehensive about the future with the skeleton bros nextdoor it was something she would have to do with. 

Sans had not stopped by either, althought Sela in a way had expected him to. 

She really didn't get the monster. It seemed he had quenched what ever interest he had had about her for now. Or then he was just mindfull about her solitude she valued. Only time would tell.

The brothers house was coming up along nicely, it seemed it was more put together every day that she peered out of her window. 

It wouldn't be long before they would start painting and what ever they planned on doing to the interior before moving in. 

Sela tried to come to terms with the fact that she would be seeing people much more often. For the moment, she was happy to just avoid the workmen slaving away, closing her blinds more often than not just to keep to herself. 

Sans had said that she was considered the hermit so it didn't make her even a bit ashamed if everyone already thought that about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me in the tumblr void.  
> http://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/


	4. Invitation

”So, moving day, eh, Pap?” 

Sans watched in amusement as Papyrus was exited enough to almost climb the tent walls. 

They had made a trip yesterday to underground to retrieve what they wished to bring to the new house from their old one. 

Sans was positively exhausted but he couldn't wait to settle down either. Just a few final stretches and he could finally lay about as much as he wanted to. He even felt a bit better about future, even with the constant nightmares plagueing his mind. There had been no resets yet, like Frisk had promised him to. 

”I CAN'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING IS FINALLY READY FOR US!” 

Papyrus was beaming, calculating exitedly which cardboard boxes would fit into smallest space possible. There really was no reason to do that, as they had a moving truck coming to the camp for them but it seemed to give him at least something to do in the meantime. 

”Yeah, can't wait to relax too, I've worked myself to the..” 

”DO NOT RUIN MY WONDERFUL MOOD WITH THAT, NO!” Papyrus screamed, flipping to face him in a annoyed huff. 

Sans chuckled ”..bone.” 

”NOOOOO”

”Ye ready, punks??!” Undyne choose quite the right time to burst in, yellow eye gleaming fiercely, looking ready to supplex the whole camp if need be. Undyne and Alphys had also finished their house, moving in along with the brothers. 

”I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WAS BORN READY! LETS GET LOADING!” 

”That's the spirit!” Undyne hoisted a huge box on her shoulder, dashing out of the tentflap, held open by Alphys. She had a dreamy smile stretching her lips, eyes trailing as Undyne strutted past her.

The whole camp was buzzing with tangible exitement. 

They had not been the only ones to finish their houses or not even the first ones. 

Naturally the Kings and Toriels houses had already been moved into and many others had already settled into the new life top ground. 

The last two weeks had gone in a mad dazzle to get things moving and every monsters was brimming with happiness. 

Despite himself, even Sans found himself enjoying all the vivid feelings – it almost felt like a weight was being lifted off of the whole camp lately. 

”Come on, loser, put your back into it!” Undyne nudged Sans on her way out and he huffed, feigning being hurt and picking up few things with his magic. Cut corners where you can, as was his motto. 

Papyrus and Undyne simply retorted with more remarks about his lazing about but he didn't really care that much. It was all in good nature anyway, he knew they liked him just as he was. 

Alphys took charge of the responsibility to get everything situated well in the truck, the driver scratching his head in awe of Papyrus' and Undynes strenght. 

Sans managed to get no less than four boxes moved before he just fell back next to Alphys, leaning to the trucks side. 

”Are y-y-you sure y-you wou-wouldn't want to co-come to the science de-department w-w-with me some day, Sans?” Alphys piped up, holding her clawed hands and looking nervously to Sans, who had closed his sockets. 

He pried the other one open, looking down to the royal scientist and actually mulled over the possibility. He closed the socket with an audible click and sighed.

”I'd havta think about that a bit, if you don't mind, Alphys.” 

He didn't catch her exited smile, since this was the first time Sans had actually said anything other than a resounding no. He had no idea why Alphys kept asking him still, almost regularly. He sure had tried his best to turn down the prospect of doing what he used to. 

But now.. things moving.. not resetting. He doubted Alphys remembered anything about the resets, but it was intriquing to say the least that she hadn't given up. Almost like she could tell that he just needed time with things. Time he had not had in a long time. 

”Wo-wonderful! Y-you know Sans.. I-I w-will just keep a-a-asking untill you say -y-yes!” She sounded more determined than Sans had heard in a long time and that made him smile wider. 

”If ya say so.” Hell, maybe he would just say yes one day. 

Alphys turned to straighten some of the few furniture they had, as Undyne and Pap were making the moving into a somekind of contest of speed and strength. 

It wasn't long until everything was loaded and they were ready to drive to the houses. 

Undyne and Papyrus were exited and energetic enough to run to the houses which weren't that far in the first place. Not that they all would have even fit in the small cabin of the truck. Sans just teleported and Alphys rode with the driver, showing him the way there.

 

Of course Sans was the first one on the yard, as he gazed at the house. 

It was just the perfect size, very different to the one they had had in Snowdin, with a small workshop behind the house itself, and extra guestroom, if the need ever arose. 

There was a small porch infront of the house, much like in Selas house, a small foyer, incorporated dining area with the livingroom, a kitchen on the right side and the bedrooms in the left side. 

The house was a bit L-shaped, leaving a nice gardening area behind the house, before the workshop on the lots border. 

They even had their own, small bathrooms with showers in the bedrooms. 

There was one bigger one with a bathtub right next to the kitchen and an utilityroom behind that. 

Papyrus had decided on the colorpalette, opting for blues and oranges, which didn't surprise Sans one bit, and he was just happy with that. 

He sneaked a glance at Selas house. 

The yard was somewhat unkempt, but not a huge mess. He saw it as organic more than pure lazyness to tend it. There were wild flowers and some bushes growind on the side of the house and the blinds were closed, like usually. 

Sans hadn't visited her again, thinking it might be best for her since she would probably have her fill of socializing bombarded to shreds soon. Besides, he was still a bit puzzled by his own reactions to her. Yes, he found her interesting, but he couldn't exactly tell why. He had stayed away as much for her sake as his own.

Sans could make out the blinds fluttering a bit and he waved his hand a bit. 

Sela yanked the blinds open, looking flustered that she had been caught and after a moment, waved back timidly. At least she was there. 

Sans turned to wave to the approaching truck and when he turned back to face the house, Sela wasn't in the window anymore, but she had left the blinds open. 

Sans couldn't help but ponder yet again why she was such a hermit and how often did she even leave the confines of her home. There was just too much to find out about her, that it was impossible to not want to.

 

Sela sneaked few glances when she heard commotion from the brothers yard. She was still blushing a bit, getting caught by Sans. At least they didn't see her again, as they seemed busy enough with the moving. 

So, now she had neighbors. 

Sela felt the tug of anxiety in her gut but there was nothing she could do about it. She even saw a glimpse of the intimidating looking.. and sounding fishwoman hoisting furniture with Papyrus. 

Sans seemed to usually laze around when she saw him at all outside. 

There was a small, yellow lizard looking monster also nervously skimpering between the moving truck and the home. She at least didn't seem intimidating what so ever. 

As soon as the brothers had transported all the things inside the truck moved to the house next to the brothers. 

Sela felt like a old granny, snooping behind the safety of her windows and decided she needed to do something else to get her mind out of things. 

Feeling still restless she wandered to her office to catch up on bills and to just peruse around the internet. 

She had been reading about sleep paralysis and similar experiences out of curiosity and to validate it was just that what she had experienced and the stories were chilling but similar. That fact alone made her feel much better about her experiences. 

Some comments on the videos and posts suggested pretty wild theories, varying from demons to ghosts to aliens but as unsettling as that was, Sela was inclined on the more practical explanations. 

Even if there was monsters and magic there could not be those other things, now could there? 

Sela closed the posts, swallowing. Right? 

Better not entertain that thought just for the sake of her mental health. 

Besides, usually when people implied anything more at work, they came hand in hand with other odd things happening around and she had not ever felt that her house was haunted or anything. 

She slipped to her backyard to smoke a cigarette just to quel her nerves. 

It was a nice, early evening and very warm. She was eyeing the grass growing wildly in her yard and decided she should cut it tomorrow, lest she appear like a complete slob now that she actually had people living next to her. 

It would put her into a position she didn't like that much, being seen, but she could not just completely hole up either now. Her absolute peace had been already compromised heavily.

 

The next day was ever hotter, sun beaming high in the sky, no clouds marring the almost white expanse. 

Sela was sipping down her morning coffee on her porch, anxiety coiling in her innards, but she was determined to do what she had planned to. At least the brothers house was quiet still, they probably were pretty tired from the move.

Sela slinked inside to deposit the empty mug to her kitchen and stopped by a mirror in the vestibule. 

She had her usual gettup on, black shorts that reached almost to her knees and a loosely fitting top, that had some swirling patterns going down in the middle. Pretty optimal for such a warm weather, tho she scoffed a bit at her pale skin. She could only hope she wouldn't burn her skin too badly, even with protective sun cream. 

Sighing, she went out to her shed to haul out the old lawnmover. 

It had been her uncles, and she could count the times she had actually used it with her fingers. Sela hoped she would get it to work. 

After fifteen minutes of violent jerking of the grimedover cord she could already feel the sweat running down her back, sun almost scortching her skin.

”Fucking bastard shiteating pissmachine! Fucking work you useless piece of trash!” 

She let out a slew of curses and kicked the thing and screamed when she heard a low, amused chuckle behind her.

”If I'd known ya had such a dirty mouth I would've brought soap.” 

Sans.

Sela turned scowling at the skeleton who was wearing a wide, shiteating grin. There was a coffee cup in his bony hand.

”I take it that the machine ain't working?” He made a small gesture at the old lawnmover and Sela nodded, swiping the sweat on her forehead.

”Yeah.. Don't know what's the matter with it.” She conceded, iddly wondering how he got in her yard. After all, he had managed it last time also.

”Did you put in gasoline?” 

Sela scoffed. ”Of course.”

”Well then, lets have a look.” 

Sans gave her the mug and she took it with shaky hands. The skeleton hunched over the piece of machine and was studying it with interest. 

Sela started to ask how he would know what to do to it when he fiddled with something and he pulled the cord with vigor. The machine rumbled to life and she bit back her question. 

”The tube leading from the tank to the engine wasn't properly in its place.” Sans offered with a smile, as he straightened. 

Sela gave him the mug back, propably with a very impressed look as he looked quite smug. ”How did you even..”

”I used to dabble in engineering and other sciense crap back in the underground.” He said nonchalantly, much to Selas surprise. Not that she had thought the skeleton to be stupid but it had caught her off guard. 

”Well.. Mr. Science guy, thanks for the help.” 

She shut the engine down for now as she could feel Sans had something else to say too.

”Pleasure. So. Ya ready to be bombarded with friendlines yet?” 

Even if she had tried, she couldn't help but to wince a little to his words and he seemed amused. 

”Ahh well.. As ready as I'll ever be I suppose.” Sela knew her whole face was probably beet red at this point. 

”Paps wanted to invite ya over for a supper in that case. Our place, at fiveish.” 

Sans seemed to be watching her intently and she couldn't help a small shiver run down her spine. For a skeleton, he had quite piercing gaze. Yet again Sela got the oddest feeling he was trying to see something inside her and it made her very nervous.

”Okay.. sure.” 

”See ya later, Selagator.” Sans chuckled and turned and left with a small wave. 

Sela scratched the back of her head and quelled the hysterical laughter that was trying to bubble up.

 

She was absolutely spent after moving the lawn, sweat was running down in rivulets and it was too hot to do anything. 

Sela pushed the machine into the shed and turned to go back inside, only to be greeted by overly exited Papyrus peering over her fence. 

”HUMAN! I HEARD YOU WILL BE ATTENDING THE GREAT PAPYRUS'S WELCOME MEAL!” 

There was actual sparkless dancing around his eyesockets in the sun.

”Heh.. yeah. I'll be there.” 

Sela smiled after gathering herself from the slight shock. Damn he was tall. She could see most of his torso over the wooden planks making up her fence. 

”ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! WE WILL SEE YOU THEN!” 

The tall skeleton skipped back inside, leaving Sela wondering what she had gotten herself into. The monster didn't seem to have any other speaking volume than shouting. At least he seemed to always be in a good mood and was much less intimidating that his brother. 

Sela couldn't help but wonder a bit why they were so different – almost polar opposites, despite the smile that Sans seemed to don all the time. 

Sela went inside, thankfull for the cooler atmosphere that greeted her and headed for the shower. She should at least try to look like a civilised person later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me in the tumblr void.  
> http://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/


	5. Getting to know you

Five o'clock came around faster than Sela had anticipated. 

Although she didn't think any amount of trying to get ready would have worked that well anyway. 

She didn't know what to expect, really. She was almost vibrating with trepidation as she walked over to the newly built home the brothers now occupied. 

She was so nervous standing on the porch, trying to gather her courage to ring the doorbell that she had to hold back a scream, as Papyrus suddenly yanked the door open, squeeling in delight.

”WELCOME NEW NEIGHBOR! COME INSIDE!” 

Papyrus practically hoisted her up, crushing her to his ribcage in a enthusiastic hug and plopping her in their foyer. 

”Uhh, oh.. hello Papyrus.” She coughed, her breath caught in her throath. 

”So this is the hermit squirt next door, eh?” 

She was met with a positively frightening sight. The fishlady before her was almost as tall as Papyrus, towering over her, a hostile sneer on her blue face, the yellow, catlike eye looking hard at her. 

Sela quivered. Her mouth was full of sharp, dangerous looking teeth, that pushed over her bloodred lips.

”Yeah, this' Sela.” 

Sans voice had a tint of mirth in it, althought his voice was soothing, like he was trying to placate the fishlady.

”Undyne! I live next door so guess that makes us neighbors too!” The fishlady, Undyne grabbed Selas small hand, almost crushing it, as she gave it a violent shake.   
”And this is Alphys. My girlfriend. So don't even think about hitting on her!” Undyne grabbed the small, shy looking lizard, squeezing her protectively to her side. 

Alphys seemed very flustered about this, almost as much as Sela herself.

”I w-wouldn't dream o-of it!” She stuttered, trying to massage her hand back to life.

”U-Undyne, pl-please! P-play nice..” Alphys was stuttering even worse and Sela almost felt relieved that she wasn't the only one to be a bit shy and anxious. 

Undyne just laughed and patted the lizard on her head and nodded at Sela, making a hard glare at her. Sela was starting to feel quite nervous about this new neighbor. 

She didn't know what Undyne had against her and she wished even harder that she could just run back to the safety of her house. 

”Don't worry. She's like that with everyone new.” Sans offered and gestured her to the livingroom. At least he seemed relaxed. 

Sela swallowed and followed him, eyeing the yet quite sparse decor of the new home. 

The walls were painted nice shade of blue, there was a new looking grey sofa and two armchairs in the spacious room, a bookcase with few books and ..actionfigurines? On the other wall was a flatscreen television and the wooden floor had a white, fluffy carpet layed on it. There was a aroma of spaghetti in the air.

Undyne had situated on one of the armchairs, Alphys in her lap. They were talking animatedly about something, Sela hadn't been listening as she eyed the interior.

”Looks very nice and homely.” She smiled to Sans, who was standing with her. Papyrus had disappeared to the kitchen to tend to his cooking. 

”Much better than the tentcamp anyway. Take a seat, please.” 

Sela went to the sofa and plopped down. 

A horrible, earsplitting noise ripped through the livingroom. 

”SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNSSS!!!” Papyrus screamed from the kitchen, Undyne started to practically wail in laughter, Sans was doubling over and Alphys was trying to cover her mouth with her clawed hands, stiffling a laughter. 

Sela dragged the fartcushion from under her, face so flushed it even reached her ears and decolté. 

”A..aahahah..aahahhahahhhaaa... I'm sorry.. I ahahahahahaha..aa I just couldn't re-resist!” 

Sans was gasping for air, wiping tears from his eyesockets. 

Papyrus dashed to Selas side and snatched the offending item from her hand and was waving it infront of his brother.

”I THOUGHT I CONFISCATED ALL OF THESE SILLY THINGS FROM YOU! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!” 

Undyne went into hysterics again and Sans waved Papyrus off. 

”Oh come on, it was hilarious! Sorry, Sela. There's nothin' like breaking the wind of stiff situation.” 

Sela stiffled a sudden urge to choke the skeleton. 

”He does that to everyone! He even did it to Frisk! So many times I lost count!” Undyne slapped her shoulder and Sela almost fell of the sofa. 

”He e-e-even did it to t-the hu-human ser-sergeant back at the ca-camp!” Alphys giggled. 

Sans just smiled apologetically, looking a bit sheepish. 

”Oh.. hehe.” 

Sela couldn't still help but to wish the earth would swallow her whole. She also couldn't help but think that she would one day get back to him. Somehow. 

”STOP GIGGLING IN THERE, THE SPAGHETTI IS READY!” 

Papyrus's voice boomed from the kitchen and Sans showed them to the dining table in the space next to the livingroom. 

Sela double checked her chair before she sat down, earning another fit of snickers from Undyne and another apology from Sans.

 

The dinner went well enough, Sela found herself liking Papyrus's cooking, it wasn't certainly the best spaghetti she ever had tasted but neither was it the worst. It could have used a bit of more seasoning but that was about it. 

Papyrus was absolutely enamored when she praised his cooking and Sans looked quite pleased also. 

Undyne of course went into detail about the cooking lessons she had given the skeleton and the talk naturally turned to stories about their endevours in the underground. 

Sela was quickly immersed into their tales – listening closely to everything they were talking about, Sans was kind enough to clarify any things he saw she couldn't quite understand, never been down there. 

She didn't talk much herself but no one other than Sans seemed to really notice, Undyne and Papyrus were so talkative, they certainly could outtalk anyone. 

Sela learned quite a bit about the monsters life, even about the small child, who had freed them all from underground. Papyrus was dead set on making her friends with all of his friends, and even if that seemed really daunting to her, she found she couldn't say no to the skeleton. 

Papyrus was so full of life and joy and just.. incredibly friendly. 

Sela was sure she had never seen anyone so animated and energetic.   
Undyne rivaled him in that quite well but in totally different manner. She was much more brash and still frightening to her. Alphys was shy and more reserved, but when she was talking about something that was close to her heart, like sciense or anime, she seemed to flourish to life. 

”What d-do you do f-for work?” Alphys asked as they were in the middle of discussing the guardwork Undyne and Papyrus used to do in the underground. 

It seemed Sans had been a sentry too, but quite useless and lazy, according to Undyne and Papyrus, Sans tho didn't seem to mind this description, only shrugging his bony shoulders and smiling wider. 

”I uh.. I don't work at all. I used to do all kinds of jobs when I was younger.. But I get by on my inheritance.” Sela wrung her hands on her lap nervously, hoping they wouldn't ask more.

”How do you spend your time then? Doesn't it get boring?” Undyne asked pointedly. 

”Well.. I keep myself busy enough. I read alot.. and watch alot of different programs and well, I also like to draw.” 

”SANS READS ALOT TOO, HE ONCE HID A BOOK ABOUT GRAVITY INSIDE A JOKEBOOK. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY..” Papyrus was rubbing his chin in thought. 

”Well Paps. It would have been impossible to put down otherwise.” Sans chuckled, Papyrus looking absolutely mortified. 

”I WALKED RIGHT INTO THAT, DIDN'T I?” 

”Absolutely.”

 

The rest of the evening went quite well and Sela was pretty relieved that the monsters didn't ask that much more about her personal affairs. 

She liked to listen to them playfully bicker and all that but she was also happy when she found herself saying she should get back home. Not that it was long lived.

”HUMAN SELA, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PARTY FOR THIS WONDERFUL NEW HOME AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS INSIST THAT YOU COME TOO!” 

Papyrus even did a grandiose pose, which elicited a smile from her, even with her thinking of a way to say no. Party sounded .. well, like way too many people for her liking. But she could also feel Sans' hard stare on her, not that she especially wanted to let Papyrus down – he was too sweet for that. 

”Oh.. okay. When are you planning this party?” Sela tried hard not to nervously fidget with the hem of her shirt.

”THE PARTY WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY THIS WEEKEND. THIS WAY YOU GET TO MEET ALL OUR FRIENDS AND THEY GET TO MEET YOU!” 

She could see the sparkles around the tall skeletons sockets again and she wondered if he did it on purpose or if it was a natural reaction when he was exited about something. 

”Well.. I will come then. Now I must really go, it's getting rather late.” 

Papyrus hoisted her into another backcrushing hug and even Undyne clapped her back hard enough to sting pretty badly. Alphys hugged her timidly, which she didn't mind at all. It was hard not to feel related to her nervous and shy demeanor. 

Sela was exceptionally surprised when Sans pulled her into a oddly careful hug.   
Like he thought she was made of something that broke easily. 

She found herself not minding that either. There was intriquing warmth emanating from the skeleton and she noticed that he was actually breathing. Did skeletons need to breathe? Papyrus didn't seem to do it that much, unless he was huffing to Sans' jokes. 

Sela had many questions, for sure, but she was pretty sure she would never have the nerve to ask them.

 

Sans felt.. warm. He hadn't planned on hugging the woman but he wasn't sorry he did it. She felt quite nice agaisnt her. He had not even noticed that a slight, blue blush had appeared on his face, when Undyne nudged him, with a shiteating grin.

”You like her.” She winked with her good eye. Alphys was noddign furiously, donning an exited blush herself.

”Ehh. She ain't too bad.” Sans rubbed his skull and wished they would stop staring him like that. 

”She pretty quiet tho. Even more than Alphys.” Undyne was looking at her girlfriend fondly. 

”W-well I th-think she's ni-nice!” 

”Did either of you see her soul?” Sans sat on the sofa, he knew all monsters could see the human souls if they wanted to. 

Undyne looked sharply to him, and for the first time Sans had a real difficulty deciphering her expression. He was usually good reading other people and monsters, but she was looking at him very oddly.

”No, not that I was looking either. Wouldn't it be pretty rude to try to, without her knowing about it?” 

Sans blushed again.

”Maybe.” 

”I a-actually t-tried.” Alphys said, frowning, and earning surprised look from Undyne.

”I co-couldnt s-see it at all. It w-was pretty w-w-weird.” Her scales were pretty red at this point and she quickly said; ”Pu-purely for s-scientific r-reasons, Undyne!” 

”Nerds.” She quipped and went to help Papyrus clean the dishes, leaving them in the livingroom.

Sans knew Alphys knew about his ability to see souls pretty clearly, and the position as the Judge, so he was quite happy that Undyne lef them.

”What did you think about that?” 

”W-w-well. It i-is quite rare. I've r-read only about few ca-cases from the o-old records in underground, bu-but it's not totally un-unheard of.” She seemed deep in thought. ”Y-you think she ha-has something to hi-hide?” 

”That'd be the one reason to hide a soul.” Sans nodded. 

”I-it could be because o-o-of a se-severe emotional tr-trauma.” 

”Yeah. She is pretty tightlipped. Guess time will tell.” 

”It i-is quite marvelous s-she can hi-hide it from y-you, in any ca-case.”

That was one of the reasons, why Sans was constantly finding himself thinking about that. And he told Alphys as much. 

”Y-yes well I have a h-hard time i-imagining she would ha-have any LV or EXP. S-she doesn't st-strike me the type.” She conseded as she sat next to Sans.

”Mmhm. It's just the fact, that you never know, untill you find out.”

Alphys was well aware, as his ex co-worker, that mysteries were one thing Sans couldn't get enough of. He had the congenital drive to find out why things worked and how. He had the nature of a scientist, even if he didn't do that line of work anymore, the spark for it was still there. It made Alphys smile and believe that she should get him back into the thing he clearly loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me in the tumblr void.  
> http://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/


	6. Reminiscense

Sela was tired beyond measure as she finally laid under her sheets, it took so much of her to actually try to socialize. It had been such a long time she had had to do anything like that. Would it always be this hard or would it get better over time? 

She tossed and turned abit before finding a good position, finding herself thinking about Sans. She had not thought him to be the hugging type, but it wasn't an akward hug either.   
She couldn't help but wonder what he thought about her. What he tought about humans. 

She knew very little about him, as he wasn't as much of a talker like his younger brother, or Undyne. 

Sela blushed. Why the hell was she thinking about him this much? She didn't even.. didn't even.. The thought stopped dead in her head. Was she really that lonely, that the first male inserting themselves into her life and she was actually thinking about them like that?? No, that couldn't be it. 

Sela had never been that interested in romances. 

She had had a few acquintances she had gone on a date with, even fiddled around with but her problems and tendency to like her privacy had turned the possible men away soon. And after moving to Mount Ebott she had pretty much gave up on the idea of any relationships alltogether. 

She had found actual solace in shutting herself down from possibilities. No men meant no drama, no drama meant peace. 

Sela found these new thoughts to be troublesome and she wanted nothing to do with them. She didn't need anyone. She couldn't need anyone. She had to be okay alone, like she had had to for so long. 

Realistically she knew it was her past traumas whispering in her mind, but it had been the only voice for so long, that she didn't know how to not listen to them. 

Besides, Sans was a monster. Or was it racist to think like that? Maybe monsters didn't even find people attractive. She scolded herself mentally. She shouldn't even entertain the idea. Better to just go to sleep.

Sela turned yet again, sighing as she closed her eyes. Stupid brain going haywire when it should be turning down.

 

_No not again, for fucks sake.._

Sela could feel the stiffling heat in the room. The heaviness that felt like it was weighing her down to the mattress. It didn't take long to turn to utter horror, as she felt the shifting on her bed.

_No, please!_

She didn't dare to open her eyes, least she see what was hovering over her. 

It wasn't just behind her this time. She could clearly feel something breathing on her. Hot, deep breaths, that she wished she could turn her face from. 

The preassure in the room seemed to multiply, and Sela tried her hardest to think about something else, anything else.

_It's just a nightmare. Just another paralysis._

To her utter horror she heard a low, malevolent chuckle that made her heart cease beating for a second, untill it picked up even harder, pounding away in panic. 

She could feel something ghosting the skin of her cheek, almost lovingly, but the palpable evil in the air told her there was nothing loving in the featherlight touch.

Sela hadn't belived in god for a long time, but she couldn't help but to pray to whatever force there might be, that all this was, was her brain misfiring. That none of this was real. 

It was almost like it could read her mind, as the touch lingered on her cheek, moving slowly down her chin to her throath and to her chest. 

Sela couldn't help the tears that rose to her closed eyes and ran down her cheeks. She was starting to hyperventilate.

The wispy touch stopped in the middle of her chest and she could feel a heaviness. A horrible push, like the thing wanted something inside her. It was quickly turning painful and Sela wheezed. 

”No!” 

She somehow found enough air to let out a quiet scream. 

That seemed to brake what ever spell had fallen on her and she scrambled out of the bed, falling hard on the woodfloor.

She didn't dare open her eyes as she heard the somehow distant sounding snarl that sounded above her.

She crawled downstairs as fast as she could, turning every light she could find on.   
She didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

 

It was quickly coming apparent to Sans that there was something odd going on next door. 

Every night that it started to get dark, Sela turned every light on in her house, exception being her upstairs. She seemed to pace around nervously inside. 

First he had just thought that maybe she was doing some work or something, but she didn't seem to sleep. He himself usually slept only in small naps, so he was up in weird hours around the house, and saw it all. 

After two days she started to spend her time in the comfortable shadow of her porch, reading a book. Sans could tell she wasn't doing much reading tho. 

Paps was ecstatic that she was out, happily conversing with her, doing most of the talking of course over the fence but Sans could hear she sounded very tired. Maybe it was somekind of human ailment? He wasn't entirely sure. 

He had read books about human anatomy out of curiosity, but he didn't certainly know everything about humans. 

The medical field was quite vast compared to monsters equivalent and he knew it took human doctors to get their doctorate years and years and even more of them if they wanted to spesialice. 

He knew alot of insomnia from his own experiences, but he also knew humans had many ways to try if not cure the condition, at least allieviate it. 

He should ask her if that was bothering her.

In any case, he found himself being more mystified by her and a bit concerned. 

At least other things were going rather well. Papyrus was as happy as could be and even Undyne seemed to enjoy her new surroundings. 

She and Pap had started a strict regimen to keep working out together, despite there not being a similar need like in underground. It mattered little to the two, having all the energy to spend. Besides, King Asgore had asked if Undyne and Papyrus would be interested in accompanying him, Toriel and Frisk, who was still appointed as an unlikely ambassador for the monster rights, to upcoming events. 

Asgore had even asked Sans and he had had to cave in, they knew too well that he cared much of all of their well being. 

Only Asgore, Frisk and Alphys knew most about his magical power, and that was the way Sans wanted to keep the fact. 

Sans didn't think they were not safe when they went to different kind of meetings because there was always military and police involved, but he knew that Asgore was still being overly carefull. He had seen what people were capable off, after all. He had been there when the war between the two species had started, making him one of the oldest monsters around. 

Sans also knew it was still a difficult and somewhat strained truce between them and humans. 

It was still a new thing, and no matter how hard he had tried not to keep track what people were talking about monsters, it was hard. News about them were still everywhere – good and bad. In some medias, only bad. 

It would take alot of time yet to say that things were stable on the whole. 

Having read about some of the things people were talking about, he had to be quite pleased that Sela didn't seem anything like the worst out there.

 

The words were jumbled in her eys. The facade of the book in Selas lap started to irritate her more than bring her any respite.

She got up groaning, tiredly stretching her back. She was so, so tired. Sela was sure her brain would probably soon give in and she would just sleep while her eyes were open. She was also sure, she had never drank this much coffee in her whole life. 

The tiredness wasn't even the worst part. The most unforgiving thing about her situation was her fear.

She had never been this fucking scared in her life.

Sela had not been able to sleep in her bedroom for more than few hours at a time after the nightmarish experience she had had after the visit to her new neighbors. 

The whole damn house seemed to reek of.. of.. She couldn't even manage to name it. What ever it was, it didn't feel right. And that was a big part of the fact that she spent so much time on her porch.

At least she had Papyrus to talk to, even if she didn't say much. 

It was strange to her – feeling relieved not being as alone as before, but then again, her situation had changed dramatically in the last week. 

She still was nervous about tonight, as it was friday and the day for the party she had been invited to. Although she couldn't help but also feel a bit happy that she had something other to do, than to just brood over this horror that had wedged its way into her life.

Papyrus had been gushing about the party all week, exited beyond measure. It was rather endearing, honestly.

She was on her way inside to get more coffee, feeling exhausted beyond belief when she spotted something familiar and blue on her porch. 

”Heya neighbor.”

Of course it was Sans. Sela shuddered from the sudden appearance he had made. He seemed to love to sneak up on her and at best of times it was getting on her nerves.

”Seriously. How do you do that?”

”Do what?” He had a grin almost as wide as his skull, but the look in his eyes didn't match the smile.

”Always sneak up on me.” Sela turned to the skeleton fully, folding her arms, sighing. 

Sans had the sense to look a bit apologetic even a little bit. ”It's just a habit.”

”I'd appreciate it, if you didn't do it to me.” Sela was too tired to feel nervous this time. She did recognized she had her normal guard down but she couldn't bring herself to care that much. Maybe the sneaky skeleton would listen to her for once.

”Fine. I'll try.” Sans raised his hands in the air in defeat. ”So, how´ve ya been?”

The question took her by surprise. Did he know something was awry? Sela squinted her eyes, looking at him warily.

”Couldn't help but notice ya been up alot lately.” 

The skeleton showed his hand to his hoodiepockets. No matter how hot it was outside, he always seemed to have it on. Sela felt uncomfortably warm looking at him.

”I've been just busy, no need for you to worry.” She tried a smile but she could tell she didn't do very good job convincing him. She was questioning herself why she even wanted to convince him that nothing was wrong.

”Well if ya need help with anythin', me and Paps are right next door.”

Well that at least concluded the fact she hadn't fooled him one inch.

Sela sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. ”Okay.”

”Oh Sans.” She started as the skeleton turned with a somewhat satisfied smile.

”Yeah?”

”Should I bring something over later?”

Sans smirked, leaning a bit on the ball of his heels. 

”You could bring that good scotch, if ya like.”

It was almost like he could tell she would probably need the boost the scotch would grant her. Sela found herself being a bit grateful for the gesture, visibly relaxing. Sans' smile only grew.

”Deal.”

 

Sans was trying his best to help Papyrus and Undyne with the party but he was so distracted. He could not get the image of Sela out of his minds eye.

She had looked incredibly worn out. Dark circles had spread under her eyes, which had dulled, tired gaze fixed on them. She had looked so pale, so unwell. He didn't quite grasp why he cared so much about someone who he had just practically met, but he couldn't help it.

Maybe it was the fact that Papyrus considered her a friend. 

The idea of the scotch had sprung in his mind at the moment – He was wishing that it would make her relax so much that he could possibly pry what was the matter from her. Sans was quite sure it would work, because he had seen how she had relaxed even at the possibility of downing a bit of liquid courage, so to speak.

He knew it was a sneaky plan but with Sela he had to retort to that. He couldn't stop himself thinking wryly that she was almost as secretive as he himself. Naturally, it was like a challenge for him.

”Oh come on, man. You haven't even cut the vegetables the right way!” Undyne was waving her arms around him furiously. 

”And here I was tryin' to keep the right beet and grape the best size.” Sans smirked, forcing his voice mournfull as Undyne slapped the counter, eye blazing and Papyrus screaming in the backround.


	7. Meeting the Folks

The amount of makeup Sela had to slather on her face made her feel more like a dragqueen than a lady she was trying to portray. The dark circles under her eyes didn't want to blend no matter how hard she tried and she was getting frustrated.

It didn't help that the house seemed to almost breathe with some sort of foreboding anticipation and Sela found she couldn't actually wait to get out of the door. She still held on to her stubbornes to pick out her clothes in peace.

Even with all the strength she could muster, she found herself flinching to familiar shadows despite the lights being turned on. What the hell was going on?   
She tried her hardest to not think about those posts she had read about the sleep paralysis but damn it, it was hard.

It was almost like it had been a self-fulfilling prophecy to read about demons and ghosts and what not and now it was near impossible to think that the.. other things were starting to come to life. She should have not delved into that shit, she decided, berating herself.

Moving around she glanced out of the window, spotting the growing traffic at the brothers house. There seemed to be so many monsters going in it was intimidating. Well at least she would definitely not be lonely tonight. 

Checking herself in the mirror Sela decided she was as ready as she would ever be. She had even had one glass of scotch before hand, just to make the intial anxiety ebb a bit. She didn't care one bit if anyone would smell the alcohol in her breath – she wasn't obligated to explain herself to anyone and she was pretty sure Sans at least would understand perfectly.

Sela straightened her dress, a black cotton one, with a wide hem that ruffled nicely around her calves. It was one of the nicest ones she had. There was one red floral pattern embroidered to the left side of the bust and she had only worn it once, to her fathers funeral. Luckily she wasn't that sentimental about her clothes that she'd feel bad wearing it again.

Sela had opted on taming her long hair to a simple braid, it was too hot to wear it free anyway and she could only imagine how hot it would get in the party with that many people in relatively small quarters. 

At least she had spotted Papyrus setting garden tables outside on the lawn with some chairs. 

Sela stepped outside and let out a breath she had unconsciously been holding for the last minute or so. As soon as she breathed in the flowery scent of the warm summer air she could feel the oppressive atmosphere of the house just bleed out of her. It hadn't even registered how bad it actually was, when she was getting ready.

She could feel it, yes, but it was totally different to actually step out of it.

Laughing from the neighboring lot brought her back to reality and instead of her house's dark ambience her anxiety flared up. Great. Just fucking fantastic. She felt like she was pressed thin between the rock and a hard place with all these different kinds of feelings. Just how conflicted could this day get?

Sela closed her eyes for a moment, composing herself and starting for the party, the bottle of scotch wrapped neatly in a box.

 

There were so many monsters in the house that Sans was wondering if they should have opted for a bigger dwelling. Of course some of them took alot more space than the others, mostly meaning Toriel and Asgore with their massive height. The king was happily talking to a pair of the ex-sentry dogs from Snowdin and Toriel was working tirelessly in the kitchen. 

Papyrus had tried his very best to shoo her away from there, but it was no surprise that it had turned completely opposite. Toriel was well aware that Papyrus had improved in cooking but she still didn't trust him with it entirely. 

Frisk was running around with Flowey in a ridicilously colourful pot in their hands. They seemed to have rallied the other monster children to a game of tag and the miserable flower looked absolutely indignant with all the running. The sight made Sans chuckle darkly.

He had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Frisk had wanted to fetch the weed from Underground only few weeks after ascending to the surface. He didn't see much remeeding qualities in Flowey, he remembered what the hellion had done. But once Frisk had set their mind on something, it was near impossible to convince them otherwise.

For some even weirder reason the soulless weed had yet to do anything as severe as when they were in Underground. He was sullen, rude and downright intolerable even at best of times, but perhaps he was more or less grateful that Frisk had gotten him out. Sans was sure he would never fully understand.

He was anxiously waiting for Sela to turn up. Most of the other guests, save for few temmies and Grillby, had shown up already. 

Sans was in the middle of some trivial small talk with Doggo when he noticed her standing in the doorway. She looked.. beautiful. Sans blinked, excusing himself and going to greet her. Sela had managed to hide the exhaustion from her face better than he had anticipated, the only tell were her worried eyes, as she scanned the people inside.

”Heya, neighbor.” Sans smiled to her and she offered a shy smile of her own for the skeleton, handing the box that held the bottle inside to him. 

”Quite a crowd you got here.” She sounded nervous but seemed to try her very best not to appear too intimidated.

”Ah, don't worry. Ya'll gonna fit right in. Come on, I'm sure Pap will want to introduce ya to our people.” Sans offered a hand, which she took, with just the tiniest hint of hesitation. Sans couldn't help but like the feeling of her warm and soft hand in his.

Sela found soon enough that the one glass of scotch was NOT enough to quell her nerves. As soon as Papyrus spotted her trailing inside with Sans, he pretty much snatched her, much to San's amusement. 

”KING ASGORE, MEET OUR NEW HUMAN FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR, SELA!” Papyrus's voice cut clear through the murmur of the crowd inside and Sela found herself propped infront of a huge, towering figure. 

She felt like a child. She did recognized the King from the endless barrage of news stories and reports and she had seen he was a rather big monster, but nothing could have prepared her for actually meeting him. God, he was intimidating! She felt a shiver run down her spine despite the heat.

Asgores eyes locked with hers, but even through her fear she could see his eyes were incredibly kind. 

”It's truly a pleasure to meet you! Papyrus has talked about you alot, Miss Sela.” Asgore wrapped his furry paw around her hand, squeezing them very gently. He clearly knew how to handle a scared human, Sela thought. 

”The pl..pleasure is mutual, King Asgore.” She could not help her voice waivering a bit. 

”Oh please, call me Asgore.” The goatmonster smiled and chuckled, he found it amusing that people always tried to be so formal with him. There was a time and place for all that, but it certainly was not at a housewarming party like this. 

Sela smiled and nodded. He had the unmistakable air of regality around him, even with his clearly casual clothing of beige slacks and a silly, colorful shirt. But even she could tell he enjoyed being just one of the others, nothing that special.

Before Asgore could utter anything more, Papyrus was already lifting her almost like a doll towards the kitchen. The surprised and bewildered expression on the womans face made Asgore laugh under his beard. Papyrus sure did seem to like carrying people around.

 

Sela was unceremoniously plopped on to the floor in the kitchen, infront of yet another monster that looked eerily alot like Asgore. Although she had seen Toriel in few pictures, the former Queen of monsters had not appeared in the media as much as the King. 

Her warm smile and kind, violet eyes stirred something in Sela she had not felt in years. 

”Oh, you must be Sela from next door! Welcome, my child.” Toriel hugged her close to her and she inhaled the lovely and homely scent of cinnamon, warmth and butterscotch. She felt the swelling in her heart at the incredibly motherly embrace that felt like the whole of the monster race was embracing her. Sela imagined she could have fallen asleep content and utterly safe in her lap. She drew a shuddering breath and smiled, almost dazed as the monster let go.

”My name is Toriel.” Toriel still clasped her hands in her paws, that emanated all those lovely feelings into Sela.   
”Lovely to meet you, Toriel.” Sela breathed, still flustered about the way that simple gesture had affected her. There was something knowing, even a bit sorrowful in the eyes of the gentle monster.

And yet again she was grabbed away by the ever enthusiastic Papyrus.

It felt like forever before she was finally given chance to roam around without being actually lifted and carried by the younger skeleton brother. Papyrus had been distracted by Undyne who had rushed in, yelling something about a spearthrowing contest in the backyard. Naturally Papyrus had taken up the challenge and few of the former sentries had joined the exitement. 

Sela had proptly fetched a drink from Grillby, who after finally arriving had set up a pop-up bar on the kitchen table. The fire elemental didn't speak much, which Sela found very comforting. She hadn't spoken this much in ages, and that was only including the introductions.

She gathered timidly some of the snacks Toriel had laid in the livingroom table for people to munch on and followed Sans and Alphys to watch the throwing match going on. 

Monsters were whooping and hollering to the contestants, that had lined in the yard, aiming for a already well used practise target near the edge of the woods. She welcomed the cooler air of the beginning evening, as it had begun to be nearly intolerable inside.

As fast as she bit into a piece of pie she had been told was baked by Toriel, she was distracted from the action ahead. Her eyes instinctively closed as the heavenly taste of the pie rolled on her tongue. She sighed happily and when she finally opened her eyes, Sans was watching him. Clearly amused.

”Enjoyin' yerself?” His low laugh rumbled through the air.

”It's amazing.” 

”Yeah. Tori sure bakes a mean pie.” 

Sela just hummed, enjoying the last bite in content silence. 

Alphys was staring at Undyne flexing to the other monsters waiting for their throwing turn. Her spear was lodged right in the middle of the target, even from such distance. 

Sela couldn't help but shudder a bit, seeing all those muscles rippling under the scaly skin of the monster. She couldn't imagine how strong she actually must have been. Papyrus wasn't far off from her spear with his powerful throw. Even without the muscles to show it, it was clear he wasn't hindered by the fact he was a skeleton. It did raise more questions in Sela's mind but she did not have the courage to ask those yet. 

The other monsters didn't even come close to the spears Undyne and Papyrus had thrown, some even chucking theirs into the forest. Undyne was unanomously declared a winner, which made Alphys' eyes shine with unbridled affection. 

”ONE DAY, UNDYNE, I WILL WIN!” Papyrus made a heroic pose, his scarf fluttering in a wind that wasn't actually present. For some reason he seemed not to be bothered by the heat, much like his brother. 

”You wish, scrub!” Undynes amused voice carried as well as the skeletons. She grabbed the tall skeleton into her arm and proceeded to noogie him in his skull, making Sans snort.

”Are they always that energetic?” Sela had to ask.

Sans' eyelights fixed to her and he smiled, swishing his drink in his hand.

”Yep. Always. Ain't my bro the coolest?”

Sela smiled. The adoration in Sans' eyes was as clear as day. She wished she would have had siblings like that. Or even that her father would have adored her like that. The thought made her heart pang with old pain that she did not want to visit right now. Sela had learned to detach herself from dwelling too much on past, but being bombarded with all this happy atmosphere was getting to her. The fact that she was so worn down from the weeks worth of not sleeping much affected her also, badly.

Sans did see the fleeting, dark expression on her face, but the way she was hiding from him made him completely oblivious from the reason. Clearly something was up with her. She didn't seem that skittish right now, but that could have been just the alcohol she had downed. 

”Well he is pretty great.” 

Sela downed the last of her drink, turning to return inside to get more from Grillby, but was suddenly tripped and she fell to the stair, with Frisk, who had ran right to her legs. She was so surprised she didn't let out any voice.

”Watch where you're going, stupid bitch!” 

Sela gasped. The scrawny child gasped too, slapping a hand over their mouth and peering at Sela with wide eyes under their unruly brown bangs. Sans stared them with eyesockets void of any lights, his trademark smile strained. Sela found his expression absolutely terrifying.

”Flowey..” Sans said with a low voice, that harbored a promise of a punishment. A shiver ran down Sela's back and she glanced back at the child, who was now clutching a flowerpot infront of them, shaking it slightly.

The pot was painted with small flowers and butterflies and leafes and all kinds of colorful shapes. In the pot slouched a yellow flower. With a face. And it didn't look very happy at all. The flower was narrowing its black eyes towards her, like it was inspecting her, not being very impressed. Its mouth was turned into a hostile sneer.

The small child huffed, gaining the flowers attention and hurriedly signed something. 

”Frisk says sorry. I'm NOT sorry.” The flower somehow crossed its leaves, looking defiant.

Sans took a step closer.

”Even with the smiley trashbag hovering.” The flower concluded, staring now the skeleton with clear.. hate. 

”Sela. This is Frisk.. and that weed is.. Flowey.” Sans' voice was cold as ice on the last part of the introduction. Flowey laughed, his shrill laugh without humor and spat, ”Flowey the Flower. Pleasure to meet you, _human._ ”

Sans offered his hand and as Sela took it, he hoisted her up from the stair effortlessly. Sela was only partially aware that her mouth was hanging open.

Frisk planted Floweys pot on the ground carefully and promptly hugged Sela. She was very distracted since the flower was still scowling at her with disapproval. After a moment she recovered somewhat, returning the hug. Frisk beamed up to her and she couldn't help but smile back at them.

”It's alright Frisk, nothing bad happened.”

Frisk giggled and let her go, picking up the rude flower, skipping towards Undyne and Papyrus, who somehow had managed to start another competition, where they were lifting up.. huge rocks.

Sans was staring like a hawk after them. He turned back to Sela, lights back in his eyesockets, much to her relief.

”Sorry about that. The weed has no manners.”

”Is he a monster too?” Sela dusted her dress, wondering what Frisk was doing with a foul-mouthed and clearly rather hostile thing with it.

”Uhh. Not exactly.. It's a long story.” Sans was rubbing the back of his skull, looking a bit uncomfortable. He obviously did not want to talk about the subject and Sela didn't want to question that. She had the inkling that Sans had many things he did not like to talk about, unlike his brother, and she could understand that. Sela silently thought she had more common with Sans than she had guessed first.

”Will Frisk be alright with Flowey?” 

”Yeah. Toriel keeps an eye on them too. She's their mother.”

Sela raised an inquisitive eyebrow but then pursed her lips as realisation hit her. ”Frisk is the ambassador? The child who freed you all from the Underground? They're so tiny..”

Sans had a look in his eyes as he gazed towards the forest, that could've spoken thousand words. There was tenderness, awe but also something darker, that she could not put her finger on. His expression was conflicted, although his voice had warmth to it, as he said; ”Yeah. That little squirt has more determination than anyone I've ever come across.”

Sela could only imagine what braking a magical barrier created hundreds of years ago would have entailed, and none of the articles she had skimmed through had said anything about that either, so she had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact, that the child playing innocently across the yard had managed just that. As a consept it was as mindboggling as the monsters themselves. 

”Anyway. Weren'tcha heading for a refill?” Sans was back to his usual, smiling self. Eyesockets drooping lazily. Sela nodded holding her glass, realising it was also a small miracle it was still intact after that collide.

”Lettuce go inside then. Ladies first.”

She rolled her eyes.


	8. Flames and Games

The night swished by a bit too fast for Sela's taste, no matter how exhausted she was. The thought about returning to the hellish atmosphere of her own house wasn't even distantly appealing prospect.   
She found herself drowning her fear and anxiety into the booze that was flowing rather freely when Toriel deemed it was time for Frisk to retire for the night.

The child did seem tired, although they were trying their very hardest to insist they wanted to stay for a bit still, even with the other minors gone already. But Toriel seemed well versed with motherhood and putting up the necessary boundaries. Her word was the law and so they departed little after eleven in the night.

Even the air had cooled down to a tolerable level and the monsters were equally relieved for it, sans Sans and Papyrus.   
Sela even dared to ask about it after her fourth glass of scotch. It was not even surprising Sans just winked and said that the cold AND the heat just went right through their bones, smug motherfucker.

Although she oddly found herself enjoying herself she felt most comfortable hanging around the mostly silent bartender, Grillby. She felt he didn't expect her to be anything especially, which was relieving and made him somewhat of an oddity among the monsters. Most of them talked up a storm and wanted to know this and that, just because she was human. Not the fire elemental tho.

Sela could understand that the monsters were curious about her, most humans probably tried to stay as far away from them as possible. The fact that they resided on the mountain did speak volumes, after all.  
It was just tiring. 

As her mind started to buzz in a distantly familiar way she could tell she was nearing a point of no return. Any more and she would probably pass out on her feet. The thought was incredibly enticing. If she would be unconsious, would she have nightmares? There was a voice in her head that was telling her to test the theory.

She excused herself from the circle of guard dogs that were insistently begging for more pets from herself to seek refuge, no matter how short lived it might be, from Grillby.

”I think I'll take one more for the night, please.” She knew she was slouching pretty unladylike but Grillby didn't even regard that. He just inclined his head, the flames flickering. The orange flames extended up the the ceiling, but there weren't any marks on the new paintjob. Magic, Sela thought wryly. It was the number one explanation to everything at this point.

Grillby extended a hand, holding a glass of scotch to her and she took it gratefully, accidentally brushing his fingers. They felt warm, but not too warm. Sela could feel her face becoming flustered. She had had more bodily contant tonight to last a lifetime comparing to her years of seclusion and may or may she not want to admit it, she was becoming accustomed to it. Still, touching him felt quite different.

Grillby didn't talk much but it felt like that passing, light touch conveyed much more than words. Sela knew she was staring rather stupidly at the flaming man, face red and confused. She could sware she saw a smirk forming on the bartenders face. 

”Th.. thank you.” Fuck she was so drunk. Horrible. She couldn't even talk properly.

For the first time in the whole evening she saw the flame elemental open his mouth. A jagged line opened up, revealing a white hot inferno inside his mouth.

_”My pleasure, Sela.”_

His voice was low, wispy and crackled like a campfire in the night. Sela felt all kinds of bothered hearing it and she could just imagine how her ears were burning. She downed the drink in one gulp, trying to rip herself out of her dumbstruck moment. She smiled to him blearily and just.. backed away slowly and turned on her heels to head on the porch.

 

Sans saw the whole deal. Sans also found himself not liking it that much, to his utter horror and confusion. He couldn't help himself, as he went to fetch another drink himself from the elemental.  
He had to try his hardest to ignore Undynes telling snicker from the sofa. Gues he wasn't the only one who noticed, damn it. He glanced back at the former Captain of the Guard to find her trying to look as innocent as anything. 

”So, whaddaya think about the lady?” 

Grillby regarded him coolly, only tilting his head a bit to the side as he handed the skeleton his preferred poison. Sans started to sweat under his stare. He was just asking because well, she was the only human in this neighborhood and she was a fricking mystery and.. yeah. That was the only reason, he steeled his resolve. He knew Grillby was pre war, so he was probably much better at reading people than Sans, who had relatively quite little experience with humans. 

Grillby was silent for so long that Sans was already turning to go back when he heard his voice answer.

_”She hides herself.”_

That caught his interest alright. Sans turned to Grillby, knowing full well that he probably knew he knew this too already. He chided himself for the fact that he should have thought about all the knowledge Grillby possessed and that he might have been able to shed some light on his problem. Or her problem to be exact.

Sans mustered the expression that screamed; _yes I'm aware, what else is new._

_”She hides herself, but it is not her own doing.”_

Well this was news, alright. 

_”I would keep an eye on her.”_ He didn't elaborate after that, going back to keeping the table clean.

Sans stared at him for a moment, mulling the knowledge over. If Grillby didn't say anything more, it was as good as he knew, the flame elemental was a man of few words and none of them was ever faulty. But his statement, in all of its short glory, was pretty contradictory. 

If she was hiding herself, how could it not be her own doing? Did he mean she was doing it unconsciously? Sans had a creeping feeling that might have been just a bit too obvious reason and that Grillby might have said it differently, if that was the case.

 

The cool nightair was a blessing, for sure. Sela was also pretty happy about the fact, that she was alone on the porch. Most of the monsters were still in the backyard and inside. She seriously needed a moment of peace. Even if it was shortlived, yet again.

She twitched when Sans' familiar, blue hoodie appeared in the corner of her vision.

”Enjoyin' yaself?” 

”Didn't I ask you to stop sneaking up on me, Sans?”

Sela turned towards the skeleton, swaying lightly. She was aware that the last drink had been a bit too much, but there was no sense in regretting it now. What was done was done. 

The skeleton was regarding her with an odd expression she wasn't sure she understood the meaning of. He was smiling alright, but from what she had learned about him, it was his normal expression.

Sans raised his hands, in apologize. 

”Sorry, can't help it – am too used to it. Besides, it's nice to see I can rattle your bones.” His smile hitched higher and Sela narrowed her eyes, she had a hard time figuring Sans out. Reading people wasn't her forté in any case but Sans just had this quality about him that made him stand out among the other monsters. And that made him the third one she had encountered that didn't seem to follow the usual way monsters conducted themselves.

She was feeling especially daring tonight so the words just flowed out of her, thanks to the alcohol burning down some of her shyness.

”So you enjoy being creepy and scaring people?”

”Ya got a bone to pick with me?”

”From what I can see you have quite many bones to pick from.”

”Have a special bone in mind?”

The bastard was winking at her.

Sela groaned and facepalmed. 

”Are you serious??”

Sans looked thoroughly pleased with himself, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His eyelights were fixated to her face and Sela was sure she was again red as a cherry. His smile was especially wide. Sela swallowed. How had she not noticed how sharp his teeth actually were? 

”Somethin' on my face?” 

”...”

”Here you nerds are! I've been looking for you! Inside you two, we are gonna play a game!” Undyne burst out of the door and snatched them both into a crushing hug against her sides. Sela could swear she smelled an aroma of sushi from the monster.

”Wh.. what kinda game are we talking about?” Sela was worried, the only games she had seen Undyne having this night had involved something to do with strenght or speed and she was pretty sure she would NOT be able to suplex or throw anything.

”A drinking game! Alphys and I were searching for something around the internet and came across this good one. We can't wait to try it out!” Undyne sounded painfully exited, dragging them both to the livingroom. There was already a circle of monsters sitting on the floor, seemingly waiting for them.

”I'm not sure I should drink more..” Sela tried. She could feel her head swimming. 

”Rubbish! The night is young and you don't even have anywhere to be tomorrow, right??” Undynes yellow eye was glinting dangerously. No, she had no excuse like work or other appointments and damn it, she knew it. Sela just swallowed.

Sela was unceremoniously dropped on the floor, with Sans. She noticed even Grillby was sitting with them, alongside Alphys, Papyrus, Doggo - was it and some other monster she couldn't remember the name of. He was a catmonster of some sorts, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lip. Everyone had a tall glass infront of them, filled with some clear liquid. Sela sniffed hers carefully. It smelled fruity, with a hint of alcohol.

”Alright loosers! This one's called 'never have I ever'. Everyone gets a turn asking a question like.. 'Never have I ever suplexed a boulder' and those who have, take a drink!” 

Sela could see this game going miles in all the weird directions but she suspected she would not be able to squirm her way out of this one, if Undyne was set on having her participate. Everyone just nodded and Undyne took the first turn.

”Never have I ever smashed a window.”

Everyone but Alphys and Sela took a drink. Next one up was Doggo.

”Never have I ever built a snowman.” 

Neither the cat or Grillby drank.

”Never have I ever eaten a snail.” The catmonster sounded bored, taking a drink himself. Sela was actually the only one not to drink, the thought of eating a snail made her skin raise in goosebumbs. Ugh.

Most of the questions were continued in a similar, innocent sense. That was, until Papyrus and Doggo folded out of the game. Undyne got an weird glint in her good eye and Grillby was filling the drinks, that had been already downed.

”Ne..never h..have I ever ..ki..kissed a man!” Alphys was red in the face, but even so, her eyes were shining mischieviously. Undyne let out a bellowing laughter and the only ones to drink to Sela's surprise were herself.. and Grillby.

She was staring at the flaming man. There was a faint hint of smile on his face and he just nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

”Never have I ever kissed a girl!” Undyne raised her glass, winking at Alphys who has blushing even harder. Everyone else took a drink also and Sela noticed that Sans and Grillby were staring at her now. She just smirked and shrugged in return. Undyne was cackling.

”Never have I ever been spanked.” The catmonster grinned and Sela heard Alphys exclaim a quiet ”oh my god” under her breath. Alphys, the cat and Grillby took a sip. Sela couldn't help a giggle escaping from her. 

”Undyne, ya kinky fish.” Sans was grinning too and Sela was beginning to wonder if poor Alphys would ever turn back to her yellow color.

It was Sela's turn next but her mind was pretty blank. The buzzing in her brain was beginning to be intolerable and she didn't think she could come up with a good one but to her horror she could feel her mouth move like on its own.

”Never have I ever pleased myself infront of someone else.”

Sela herself took a drink with Sans, Grillby and Undyne. This time she could see a tint of blue on Sans' cheekbones. Actually, she was pretty sure she saw two Sans'. 

”I.. uhh.” She stuttered, feeling herself falling backwards. Someone catched her before she came into contact with the floor. Grillby was holding her with strong arms that warmed her back. She almost purred at the feeling. She could feel a tremor shivering in her limbs as he carefully lifted her back to sitting position.

_”I think that's enough.”_ His voice flowed over her, making her face flush deep red. 

”Welp, better get ya home then.” Sans took her hands and hoisted her upright before she could say anything. When had he gotten up? Sela just giggled, slouching against him, feeling more feeble on her feet than she had anticipated. Everything else just seemed to drown out, as she was trying her hardest to concentrate in his eyelights, that were flickering oddly.

”You have weird eyes.” Sela snickered.

”Yup, come on, kiddo.” 

Sela didn't even notice he had somehow managed to get her outside. He was holding her, Sela's one hand on his shoulders, his left hand squeezing her tightly to his side. She could hardly walk at all. When had the alcohol gotten to her head this bad? Sela wasn't sure and she didn't care. All she could think was how the hell did his bones feel this nice against her.

Before she knew it, he had walked her up to her house and was opening the door. The buzz in her head made her so numb that she couldn't even feel the fear that she had felt inside her own home. She just wanted to sleep, so badly.

”Just the stairs, doll, then ya can sleep.” She hadn't noticed she was whining to Sans how tired she was. Somewhere between the last steps she just pretty much feel asleep on her feet, blacking out completely.

 

Sans took a deep breath. 

He was looking at her somewhat dissheveled form he had laid on her bed. He wasn't sure what to do next. Should he help her out of her dress or just leave her there like that? Sans could feel his blush cover his face. He knew he shouldn't. But wouldn't it be uncomfortable to sleep like that? He knew he wasn't probably in his right mind, after drinking that much. And that he should just leave.

She might get too hot with that dress. It might be dangerous for a human. Yeah. Sans searched the room quickly, spotting a t-shirt on a padded bench in the foot of her bed. 

”Fuck.” He cursed under his breath, rubbing his face with a bony hand. 

”I'm not being a creep. Just a friend.” He took the shirt in his hands. ”A good neighbor.” He was gonna be in so much trouble next day. Probably. Most definitely.

He carefully lifted Sela's limp form from the bed, pulling the zipper of her dress down and lifting it off of her. She grumbled some and he almost had a heartattack, would he have had one. He was being as discreet as he could and slipped the t-shirt over her head, trying not to sneak a peek of her underwear. He could feel the drops of sweat rolling down his skull.

Sans laid her back down, her head on a pillow and pulled the thin summer cover over her sleeping form. Mission accomplished. 

He took a moment to glance around the room. It was pretty tidy, the walls were painted soothing shade of purple, a tall mirror was situated next to a dark brown chest of drawers, that had some nicknacks on it. Her kingsize beds headboard was against one wall, two simple nightstands on the either side, with the padded bench at the end. There was a door ajar to a small bathroom, next to a presumable closet door. Few paintings hung from the wall opposing the windowed one. 

It all seemed pretty normal by any standards, but he could sense an odd undertone in the house now that he was not preoccupied with Sela. It was hard to put a finger on it.. he just kinda felt wierded out. Creeped out. 

For some reason he could not help but remember an image of a small child, sporting a chilling, unnatural smile stretched across its pale face facing him. Red eyes gleaming gleefully up at him. He felt the shivers in his spine rattle his bones lightly against each others. 

”Huh, that was weird.” The feeling was over quickly, leaving him more confused than afraid. He probably should have not drank that much. He knew from previous experiences it did not help with his memories of all the shit he had been put through. 

As he meandered his way to his house, too tired to use a shortcut, he spared a quick glance to Sela's house. He wasn't absolutely sure, but he thought he saw something move in the window of the bedroom. But it was gone too quickly to make out. Most likely it was just his tired eyes playing a trick on him. That was pretty much his queue to go to bed himself.


	9. Behind You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a fair warning for some horror elements. If you are uncomfortable with those, avert thine eyes! *sneaks into the background*

 

Sela was slowly coming to. The very first thing she noticed, was the fact that she was not in her bedroom. It took a few moments to realize where she was.

It was still dark outside, there was a light on in the kitchen, shining a weak light into her study. She was standing infront of her easel, staring at it with tired eyes, not understanding what she was seeing.

There was something written in the paper that was fastened to the easel she used for painting.  
Sela was squinting hard, trying to make out the words.

BEHIND YOU

It was like a splash of ice cold water against her straining senses. She was staring at the black, blocky text with wide eyes, shivers running up and down her whole body. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She needed to do something. But she could do nothing else but to experience the horror that was rushing through her like a fire.

The more she started to understand what was going on, the more she felt just how much things were wrong. And it took mere seconds, that felt drawn out like an excruciating eternity.

The whole room was absolutely freezing. She could see the warmth leaving with her breath in wispy clouds. Her skin was raised in goosebumps and the shivers intensified all the wrongness in this whole situation just so. 

Sela could feel the heaviness in the air. It was like the pressure was increased to something that should have not been possible top ground. She felt a weight like a mountain pushing her, threathening to crush her to pulp. It was impossible to breathe.

And then she could see it. The shadow that engulfed her own, that was created by the kitchen light behind her. Behind her.

There.Was. Something. Behind. Her.

The darkness of the shadow was alive, moving so very lightly, like it was baiting her to turn around, to make sure. To see it. Sela could feel it burning to her back and the feeling was indescribable. Like nails, fire, ice, wind, stone, electricity, anything and everything at the same time. She could hear it breathing with that wavering, horrible way. And she could hear something else, like something dripping on the floor. 

Sela slammed her eyes shut, no, she didn't want to see. She wouldn't see! She absolutely refused to.  
She had to get out, somehow. But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself this all was just another nightmare, maybe just a fucking alcohol induced haunt, she could not. The words on the paper were dancing across her minds eye.

BEHIND YOU

The thing behind her moved. Oh jesus christ, she could FEEL it move. Something was pressed up against her, it felt.. wet and scalding hot and none of it made any sense, the room was still so incredibly cold it resembled a freezer.

_Oh god, oh god, please no, please!!_

She had to do something, move, scream, fight, anything! But all that she could manage to push out of her paralyzed muscles was a shudder against that _thing_!

Sela could hear the things breath hitch, turn into a low rumble, like an unearthly growl. She felt her whole body react, like somekind of primal fear reaction, she was trying to fold, to be as tiny as she could, something that was hard to catch. 

It didn't work. She felt something sliding up her sides, burrowing beneath her arms, snaking around her body, like it was trying to cage her. 

When it started to pull Sela towards the rooms doorway she miraculously found herself finally reacting in a sensible way. She started flailing, grappling the side of the doorway like a lifeline and the thing snarled viciously, its voice warbling somewhere over her like a broken record. There was a voice rising through the horrible sound, pitched and panicky, her own scream.

_**It will be no use.** _

The words the nightmare uttered were so malicious, laced with assertive amusement, assuring her there was nothing she would be able to do once the thing had her in its grasp.

Sela refused.

”No! Let me go!!”

The thing laughed. The hold it had on her becoming unbearably strong, slowly but surely expelling the last of her air from her lungs.  
Sela was fighting like a alley cat now, hissing, spitting, cursing, trying to keep her hold on the doorframe. A good yank from the thing and Sela felt one of her nails turning and snapping loose painfully.

”Please, stop!”

_**Surrender and you may keep your arm.** _

To make its point crystal clear the thing snagged on her left arm – pulling it hard behind her, making her wail. The pressure of its hold on its own was making her pant out in agony. Sela could feel tears burning behind her eyelids, she still could not open her eyes, least she catch a glimpse of the horror.

There was not much to do but go lax in that infernal hold.

Sela could feel its satisfied hum through the form that was pressed agaisnt her back. The hold on her hand was freed and she sobbed with relief. She could feel herself being dragged across the floor, towards the staircase to upstairs. She had to make a brake for it now or never. Sela forced herself to relax as much as she could, and the hold on her faltered just the tiniest bit.

That was her queue to action.

She cracked her eyes open to see where she was and pushed her feet to the ground, gaining momentum from the floor and launched herself towards the front door. Her sudden burst took the thing by surprise like she had hoped and Sela crashed to the hard surface, panic fuelling her frantic fumbling with the handle. 

_**Such disobidience..** _

She could feel the things annoyance, like a taint spreading behind her, reaching to her. The things voice held a promise of punishment Sela did not want to experience.

In the last lick of time she managed finally to crank the door open and run into the cool summer night. She did not stop running and she did not look back to her house as she started to scream from the top of her lungs.

 

Sans was awake when he heard it. Someone was screaming bloody murder. He shortcutted out of the house in a recordtime to find Sela running, screaming like a banshee towards their house. She was deathly pale, only in the t-shirt and panties, something was wrong with her arm. There were angry, red marks coiling around the white skin and her eyes were wild with unbridled terror.

”What's goin' on?!”

Sela crashed into the skeleton, sobbing and babbling, voice highstrung. She was trembling like a leaf, tears running down her face in rivers.

”There's something in the house, _oh god_! Please you have to help me, I can't.. it tried to take me, I don't know what it was and I couldn't look and it was not _it was not normal_! Please, Sans, help me, please!”

”Kiddo, calm down, breathe. I can't make out anythin' ya saying..” Sans held her carefully, bewildered by the hysterical woman.

”Please don't let it take me! Please don't let..” Sela was sobbing, grasping his hoodie like it was a lifeline and she was drowning.

Sans' eyes snapped to her house, studying it hard. The front door was wide open, the only light in the kitchen illuminating the porch weakly. The night was eerily silent, broken only by the terrified gasps Sela was making. He couldn't see anything moving inside the house. 

Sans hoisted Sela to his lap. No point lingering outside, he had to get her to calm down to get anything out of her. Inside he tried to lower her to lay on the sofa but she would or could not let go of him. She was now crying in earnest. Huge sobs pushing from her, her body trembling and cold to touch. 

Sans didn't know what to do. All he could manage, was some soothing words and sushing, holding her in his lap like she would've been a child. Thank goodness Papyrus was a heavy sleeper. He would have probably been just as besides himself seeing Sela like this.

It took nearly half an hour to get her to finally calm down. She still wouldn't let go.

”Can ya tell me what the hell happened, now?” 

Her eyes were still huge, red with the crying and her cheeks were tearstained. She looked like she had seen death itself. She nodded and told him everything that transpired in haunted whispers. Like she was even afraid to relay it outloud.

”.. and I managed to run outside and into you.” She ended, heaving a trembling sigh. 

Sans was perplexed. For a moment he didn't have anything to say. He could not deny something had happened to Sela. He could see the damage to her arm, he had noticed her missing nail too while he was consoling her. But damn it, he didn't have any explanation for anything she had told. It sounded like something out of a horror movie.

”Should we call the cops?” 

”Sans.. I don't know. I don't think they could.. I don't think it was human. Or monster.” Sela looked at him, despair evident in her eyes. He had to agree on some level at least. Only problem was, that this was territory he was not that familiar with. He wanted to go and check the house but he was pretty sure Sela would not be okay to join him, or to be left alone. 

”Please, don't go in there now..” It was like she was reading his mind. 

”I won't. But we have to clean that finger.” He nodded to her bloody hand. Sela seemed to notice it as he pointed it out and grimaced. She also seemed to notice the red marks on her arm. 

”What the hell..” 

”Come on, I have a firstaid kit somewhere.” Sans lowered her carefully on her feet, she was still trembling but managed to pry herself off of him to walk on her own feet. She looked so miserable Sans offered his hand to her. Sela took it, with a small sniffle that despite the situation, made Sans smile. 

He led her to the bathroom, sat her on the toilet and turned to rummage through the cabinet under the sink. As he found the kit he heard her take a sharp breath, cursing.

”Are you hurt anywhere else?” He eyed her while she tried to hold herself from trembling so much.

”I don't know. Everything just aches.” 

”I don't know what to do with those red marks, but that finger should be bandaged.” 

Sela nodded and offered her hand to him to inspect. The whole nail was missing alright. 

”Uh.. this might sting.” He warned, rinsing the finger in antiseptic. He could see Sela tensing up, grinding her teeth with eyes closed. After he had bandaged the finger he gave her few painkillers that he was pretty sure she could do with.

Sela turned very red when she stood up. It took a moment for Sans to even register why. Oh.

”I'll get you something to wear.” He offered, blue blush spreading across his own face. Sela only nodded, mortified about the fact that he had held her so long with her wearing so little. Then she flustered even more. She did not remember taking off her dress. In fact she did not even remember going to her house. The last memory she had was almost keeling over at the drinking game. 

When Sans got back with a pair of one of his shorts he found Sela hiding her face in her hands. 

”What's wrong?”

”.. are you seriously asking that? What isn't wrong would be more accurate.” She snatched the shorts he was holding out. Sans had to admit he was at a loss when he heard the tone of her voice.  
”You took me home, didn't you?”

”Yeah?” Sans' brows knitted. For a second. ”Oh.”

Sela sighed. She couldn't really be angry now. She was just too tired, too scared and way too confused for any of this. And Sans was apologetic at least. He seemed to read her emotions and relaxed a bit.

”Come on. There ain't much we can do about this whole thing right now.”

As they stepped to the livingroom Sela was trembling again. Sans was looking at her, worry clear in his eyes. 

”You're exhausted. Ya need some shut-eye.”

”Sans. I don't think I can sleep.” She sounded close to tears again. 

He sighed. ”Ya can sleep next to me. I won't let anythin' happen.”

Sela was staring at him, a bit more suspiciously he would have liked her to. He offered his hand and after a moment she took it and he led her to his bedroom.


	10. Morning After

It didn't take long for Sela to fall to sleep. Sans din't get a wink of sleep, but that was alright. He was used to it, somewhat.   
He had dosed off after delivering Sela home earlier and he was pretty much sure it was a good idea to keep an eye on the woman after her breathing slowed to a deep, relaxed pattern. She must have been pretty tired after the ordeal.

He was deep in thought, as he was listening to her sleeping form. She had not let go of his hand. It reminded him so much of Papyrus, when he was just babybones, after he had nightmares. 

It was so different to sleep next to a human tho. She was warm and soft, her scent achingly feminine. She smelled faintly of vanilla and berries, maybe her perfume. She turned abrubtly, facing him and whining softly. He absentmindedly caressed her soft hair and she seemed to lean into his touch, like she was craving it. It made Sans' soul pulse with a confusing mix of fear and interest.

He wanted desperately to help her, but damn it, he didn't know how. Back in the Underground it was easy in a way. He just waited, watched, cracked jokes and did few shortcuts – save for the times he had had to actually fight. All that was something, that he now begrudlingly had to admit he was used to, even if by any normal standards his life had been a waking nightmare. 

Everything was so different now – things he had never seen before, never lived before. He could not predict what would happen. Finding himself in the situation people normally were constantly in was both exhilarating and terrifying. 

And the mystery, that Sela was, just had gotten exponentially deeper. Even now her soul was hidden behind that wall, a barrier, he thought wryly. Ironic really. They had bursted their barrier and now he was again against something that he didn't know how to break. Sans wasn't sure why it was even becoming such a need for him to do. It was Sela's soul after all, something he should have not been this concerned with. Sela herself didn't seem to exactly want people near her, but now as she was clutching his hand in her sleep, Sans found himself in a position robbed of his own defenses.

He was absolutely perplexed by the earlier events. What had really happened to her? Sans was also mulling over what Grillby had said about her soulbarrier being something that wasn't her doing. Were these all things related and how and why? He had the urge to go snoop a bit around her house, to see if there would be anything to shed light on the situation at hand, but he didn't want to leave her alone. There was no telling if his house was any safer than hers. For all he knew she herself could be the conduit luring the haunting out, if he could call it that. 

Everything he knew about hauntings and such were based on his information about ghost monsters and those had nothing to do with anything that was frightening. There was definately something much more puzzling going on here. 

Sun was breaking out behind the mountain, the light grazing the window in his room. Papyrus would probably get up soon and Sans resoluted on asking him to watch over Sela so he could have his chance to go to her house.

When he heard his brother clampering out of his room he called for him. 

”SANS, HOW COME YOU'RE UP ALR.. WHY IS SELA SLEEPING IN YOUR BED?” Papyrus was peeking from the slightly ajar door, brows scrunched in suspicion.

”Listen Paps, something happened last night. She says she was attacked.” Sans beckoned him closer and the tall skeleton ran to the bed, alarmed by his words. Papyrus' eyes were roaming her, widening in fright as he saw her bandaged finger and the marks on her arm, that was slung out on the pillow.

Sans raised a finger up to his teeth and hushed him as Papyrus opened his jaw, probably to scream a question in his loud voice. Instead he closed it with a click and nodded minutely, wringing his hands in worry.

”Could you keep an eye on her while I go look around her house?”

”Of course, brother. Who attacked our friend?” Papyrus actually managed to produce a voice that was NOT shouting. Sans pried her hand of hers and Sela immediately started to search it, still asleep.  
Papyrus grabbed her hand, sitting on the bed, looking very concerned.

”Don't know. She didn't see him.” He didn't know how to explain it better, so he didn't elaborate more. Sela should tell herself when she woke up if Papyrus wanted to hear about it. 

”You should have woken me, I, The Great Papyrus, would have surely captured that wretched culprit!” Papyrus exlaimed, fisting his free hand to his sternum, face stern. Sans smiled and chuckled silently.

”Sorry bro, she was pretty rattled. I don't think she would have wanted you to see.” 

Papyrus was watching Sela fixedly and just huffed. He did seem to catch Sans' meaning and nodded to him again. Papyrus could see how tired she looked, even when she was fast asleep. There were still dark shadows under her eyes, now that the tears she had shed had washed the make-up away. 

”Alrighty, I'll go see if I can find anythin'. You keep up the fort.” Sans patted his much larger brother on the shoulder and headed outside.

 

There was definately _something_ wrong in Sela's house.   
As soon as Sans stepped inside to her livingroom he could just feel the oppressive, sneaking and slithering feeling crawling up his spine, like a shadowy sludge, despite the sunshine illuminating the space.

The house was abnormally cold, his bones chilling although he wasn't that bothered by temperatures. The fact that made it stand out so much was the whole atmosphere. 

He walked around, nothing seemed out of place, but when he went to her study he could see the chilling message on the paper that was fastened to the easel. He couldn't help but take a quick look behind him, even if there wasn't anything.

The air seemed oddly suffocating in the room, making him feel a weight on him that was looming over his soul, making it pulse in mild concern. He could see the blood spatter on the doorframe where Sela had grabbed it, the severed nail lying on the floor. He shivered to the sight, even when he had seen so much worse.

Still, there was nothing in there. No other sings of the struggle. Sans rubbed the back of his skull, perplexed. Yes, it was pretty clear that the attacker had not been any ordinary burglar and he couldn't help but feel disappointed about the fact. It would have been so much easier to deal with something flesh and blood and substance.

As he was climbing the stairs to the upper floor, he could swear he saw something dark dart behind him, but as he whipped around, there was nothing there. He clenched his jaw, freezing in place, just staring at the space like a statue. It was too silent.   
He gave up after few minutes and continued to her bedroom. It was just as he remembered it being last night, save for one detail.

There was a message left on the wall where the headboard of her bed laid. 

In black paint was four odd symbols plastered across the wall. 

Sans stared at them. What the hell? His head started to hurt when he looked at them, starting to warp them oddly in his sight and with a gasp he found himself seeing them as letters. They seemed to twist and swirl hazily as he understood the message.

MINE

There was something eerily familiar and painful in the symbols, the message rising a cold sweat on his skull. Sans didn't understand why he could read this, or why it felt like he should know this writing from somewhere. As soon as he could almost grasp it, it slipped between his bones like sand. He was sure he had seen symbols like these somewhere.. but where? And what did it mean that they appeared here now? And who was this thing laying a claim on Sela? This raised so many fucking questions it was baffling. He couldn't get out of the house sooner.

 

Sela had not woken yet and Papyrus was vigilantly watching her when Sans got back.

”Did you find anything?”

”Yeah, kinda. Don't know what to think about it tho. Mind watching her for a bit still, Pap? Gonna make a phonecall.” Sans was sure there was something that could be done. A second opinion, if nothing else.

He picked his phone up and filed through the few contacts he had on the thing. Maybe Alphys could give him some indication into the matter. He wasn't sure if the scientist would have woken yet, but a phone call would be probably better than to just burst to their house.   
The phone rang few times before Alphys picked up, sounding very, very hungover.

_”Sans..? Wh.. what's the ti.. time?”_

”Hey, sorry I'm callin' this early. I kinda need your help with somethin'.”

_”Y..yeah sure.. What i..is it?”_

He could hear Undyne groaning and shuffling annoyedly in the backround.

”Someone attacked Sela and she barely made it out. There certainly is something weird going on in her house.” 

_”W..what?? Wa..wait, we're coming over.”_ She hung up the call and Sans put his phone on the dresser.

”Welp, I better go brew some coffee.”

 

It wasn't long 'till Undyne came barreling to the kitchen, Alphys in tow. 

”What the hell happened??” The aquatic monster looked tired, angry and confused all at the same time. Alphys plopped herself down on a stool as soon as she caught up with her. She looked a bit pale scaled and took a mug of coffee appreciatively from Sans. Undyne just poured one for herself, trying to camouflage a yawn in a grimace.

”Well I was aweke when Sela came running and screamin' bloody murder. She said there was someone in her house.” 

”Did you call the police?”

”Naw. She said it wasn't human.. and I don't know. I kinda think she might be right.” 

”Bu..but why would a m..monster a..attack her?” Alphys looked very confused and Undyne was glaring at him with a similar expression, gulping down her coffee like it was nectar from the gods. 

”I don't think it was a monster either.” Sans' voice held a weight that took the monsters by surprise.  
”I need to show ya something, Alphys. I want a second opinion.” Sans begged them to follow and the women trailed after him to Sela's house. He could see they felt the difference inside, like he had as he opened the door.

”Man, this is like a.. I don't know. It's pretty fucking creepy.” Undyne shivered visibly. He showed them the study and Alphys gasped when she saw the message.

”She said she woke up lookin' at this and that there was something behind her. It grabbed her and tried to take her somewhere.” 

The glint in Undynes eye was murderous and Alphys looked positively horrified, even paler than before. She swallowed hard. ”That so..sounds hor..horrible!”

”Yeah. There's somethin' in her bedroom I need ya to see.” 

They made their way upstairs and Sans pointed at the symbols.

”What's that supposed to mean?” Undynes eye narrowed.

”I .. uhh.. I th..think it s...says 'Mine'..” Alphys was shivering and Undyne grasped her in her strong arms, she could feel the sickly feeling hanging in the air. 

”Huh. Interesting. Ya can read it too.”

”How do you two know what it means and I don't?”

”I ha..have this w..weird feeling I sh..should know.. b..but I don't..” Alphys looked incredibly frustrated and Sans knew instantly that she was experiencing the same obstacle as he when he knew he should know.

”Let's get outta here. See if Sela's awake yet.”

Both agreed with him. Even with three people in the house, the place felt ominous, like it was waiting. Like someone was waiting for a right moment and it did not sit well at all in their souls.

 

Sela didn't wake until it was already dinnertime, Sans did not have the heart to wake her and neither did anyone else. Sans had a sneaking suspicion that her nightly routine of lighting the whole house, sitting outside reading and apparent staying up was tightly knit with the 'haunting'. He didn't wonder her behaviour at all, since he had sampled the stiffling feeling inside her house. He could be patient and wait a bit to ask about it.

Sans had changed the places with Papyrus to stay by her side, and his brother had gone out to drill with Undyne. Without a way to vent their exuberant amounts of energy those two could be incredibly impossible, after all. 

”.. what's the time?” Her voice was heavily laced with sleep and a bit hoarse. 

”It's afternoon. Didn't wanna wake ya, since ya seemed to need that.”

Sela groaned. 

”Any pain?” 

”Plenty.” Sela winced, as she pushed herself into sitting position in his bed. She could feel the dull ache of her finger and the sharper pain of the red marks, they felt like burns. Besides that she had the hangover of the century, head throbbing and nausea rolling inside her guts. 

Sans had kept a glass of water and a painkiller on his nightstand, guessing she would need them when she woke. Sela took them with gratitude, with a pang of shame blooming fort in her chest. She could only imagine how much she had inconvenienced her new neighbors.

”Thanks Sans. I'm sorry I..”

”No need to apologize. What are friends for?” 

Sela dared to look at the skeleton monster. His eyes were painfully truthful, an accepting smile on his face. Did he really feel that she was a friend? How odd. Sela had a hard time understanding that. She felt she hadn't been that friendly herself, and they had only known each others a little time. From old habit she wondered what ulterior motives he had, but that was somewhat a deadend thought. 

It was trying to accept that he might just simply see her as a friend. Sela hadn't had a friend in such a long time. She also shamefully had to confess to herself that she might not have been this thankful about that if her situation hadn't been what it currently was.  
So she just nodded to him, not really finding any words to say. Sans didn't seem to mind that.

”I did go to your house to look around, hope ya don't mind.” 

That peaked her interest. ”No, it's okay.. Did you find anything?” 

Sans looked uncomfortable, his bony eyebrows knitting together, like he was pondering on something and Sela had the sudden urge to touch his face, just to feel how he managed to work his face like that. She didn't tho. 

”Well.. I havta tell ya, there is somethin' going on in there, for sure.”

It wasn't something Sela had expected. What had he found that made him have such a worried expression? He looked almost apologetic. 

”What do you mean?” She almost didn't want to ask but she had to know. 

”It just felt.. wrong in there. I don't know how to describe it better than that. There was also somethin' up in your bedroom. A message if you will.” He sounded so serious, even dropping his usual drawl she had begun to expect from the skeleton. It sent a shiver down her back.

”What?! .. what did it say?”

Sans had actually written the thing down on a piece of paper he produced from his pocket. He had guessed that taking Sela up to the house might not be the best option right away after she woke. And the fear in her voice made him feel he had thought right.   
He handed the paper to her and she took it, surprise written plain across her face.

”Does this mean anything to ya?”

Sela was staring at the symbols with confusion. ”No.. I can't say it does. Was this in the bedroom?”

”Not the paper, no. Those symbols were painted on the wall.”

Sela's gaze whipped up to meet his eyelights in terror. ”.. do you know what these mean?” 

Sans looked even more uncomfortable, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, it seemed he did that when he wasn't so sure about something, a nervous habit of sorts. It made something sink further in Sela's stomach. 

”Yeah.. I actually do. But it's nothin' that am sure that's of any importance right now.” 

Sela rubbed her face. Sans clearly didn't want to tell her but that made her just irritated. She really had had her fill of mysterious things and he acting all mysterious didn't sit well with her right now. 

”Oh come on Sans. You have to tell me, if you don't I'm just gonna think it means 'die' or some shit like that.”

”Nah, nothing like that.”

Sela kept glaring at him but he didn't elaborate. 

”.. fine. I could really use a cup of coffee.” 

”Sure thing. I think it would be a good idea to go see Toriel too. She has pretty powerful healing magic. She could help ya with your hand.”

”Healing magic? .. that sounds actually like a really good idea. It's not just my hand either.” Sela admitted ashamed. She had not even noticed it at night since she was so distraught. She could feel the marks on her abdomen and back now with a vengeance.

Sans looked perplexed so she raised her t-shirt just a bit to reveal the similar red marks around her.

”Shit kiddo. Lets get going.”


	11. Soulbarrier

”Oh my god.. what the hell was that, Sans?!” Sela's whole body doubled, the insides of her stomach somersaulting in nervous roils, trying to escape but she held tight, not wanting to throw up on Toriels yard.

After she had tried to make herself even a bit presentable in the brothers' bathroom, Sans had declared that he knew a shortcut. Oh sure, a shortcut _sounded_ convinient, except it was anything but.

Sela fought the cold shivers trying to shake her back as she tried to forget the whole ordeal.   
Sans had pulled her to him, urging her to not let go and they had ...fallen somewhere. Sela could not describe it any better. If she would have imagined falling from the Empire State building, that might have come close to that. If the building would have been in space and surrounded by a wasteland of utter darkness and seething dread. She closed her eyes, trying to keep breathing. Sans was patting her carefully on the shoulder.

”It gets easier.”

Sela wanted to scream that she never wanted to do that again but she couldn't deny that his power would be immeasurably handy in certain situations.

”Wait.. you used your teleportation to get my house, didn't you?” Sela deadpanned, when she finally righted herself up. ”And every time you sneak up on me?” 

Sans' smile hitched higher, his eyelight gleaming mischeviously. ”I might have.”

Sela huffed. Magic. She was beginning to think that she would never really grasp the true depth of that concept since it was still so alien to her. It was easier, when she could see it firsthand, like monsters. If it was something she could see, touch and experience it made much more sense, even if it was strange, but she was wondering how much more there was things she had never known or even dared to think about. It was a bit jarring.

Was there even any rhyme or reason to magic? Did it follow certain rules like physics, chemistry or mathematics or was it just a wild card in the universe? More questions to file under the cathegory she wasn't sure she would have a chance to ask.

”Feeling better now?” 

”Yeah.. somewhat.”

Sans nodded to the direction of the beautiful house, that stood surrounded by freshly planted flowers – all different kinds, perfectly in harmony with each other. The house was two-storied, painted immaculately white and it had tall, multi-paned windows. Sela followed him to the door, that he just opened without knocking. Gues they were pretty good friends then.

”Sans? How are you doing .. oh hello, child.” Toriel was sitting in the cosy livingroom that was decorated in soothing spring colors and creamy whites. Frisk was sitting in her lap, holding a book they were reading.

”Hi.” Sela waved, flushing and feeling anxious being there.

Toriel seemed to catch in on her insecurity, coming to hug her, as Frisk practically flew to Sans' feet, smile stretched wide on their face.   
Sela couldn't help her pained yelp when Toriels hands brushed her back and her injuries. 

”Oh.. what's wrong, Sela?” Before she had time to answer, Sans piper up.

”Something happened last night. She could use some healing magic, if you don't mind.”

”Oh, certainly!” Toriel looked so worried that it made Sela's heart ache. It was hard to come to terms with how much love the goatmonster seemed to have, it surprised her to no end. Sela thought she was like all the mothers and grandmothers in the world, mashed into a one wonderfully warm person. 

”Sit here, child. Let's see what we are working with here.” Toriel lead her to the big, light green couch and sat her down, inspecting her hand that was the most obvious thing with the bandage. 

”There's more.” Sela blushed and made a quick, shy glance to the skeleton and the child. 

”Sans, would you go and get water boiling for some tea. Frisk, can you help him?” Toriel catched on her small gesture. Sans nodded and went to the kitchen, Frisk trailing behind him, holding his hand. They looked adorable.

Sela rolled her shirt up for Toriel and the monster gasped. ”What in the world happened, Sela?”  
She was carefully eyeing over the marks that had raised her skin in angry welts, wide and red across her back. There was no real pattern to the marks, they seemed to just lick across the skin up to her shoulder blades and pelvis, snaking around her sides to her stomach. 

”I.. I think I was attacked by something.” She stuttered, trying still to wrap her head around what had actually happened. It felt so confusing now that she was thinking about it. 

”Well. Let me get to work and you can tell me everything you can remember.” She smiled reassuringly, letting the hem of the shirt back down and taking a hold of Sela's hand. She could feel the warmth building up in her soft paws and it started instantly to ebb away the stinging.

She relayed everything she could to Toriel as her healing magic made her feel safe and relaxed, her eyes closing to the lovely sensation, making it so much easier to speak. Even the fear seemed to diminish against her soothing presence. After she had told everything Toriel hummed and stayed silent for a moment, letting the magic just flow to Sela. 

”This is very alarming, child.. and I have to admit, I have no idea what this thing that was chasing you last night might have been. That makes me worried.” 

Sela had not assumed Toriel would have had any insight, but it felt a little disappointing now that she said it out loud. The things she had read on the internet rushed to her mind and she swallowed dryly. Could those theories be accurate or was the truth something even more obscure than ghosts and demons? Did monsters know anything about those in the first place? 

Everything regarded as pseudo-science had been deemed just rubbish and gibberings of madmen up to the point that the monsters had appeared, even when there was so many people who swore they saw or felt things not of this world, so to speak. Sela was utterly confused. She didn't want to believe but it was beginning to be harder and harder. 

”There has to be knowledge somewhere.” Sela sighed, more to herself than anyone else, rubbing her temples. 

”We could try something.. ” Toriel trailed, falling into thought. 

”'M not so sure it's a good idea, Tori.” Sans had emerged from the kitchen, Frisk still on his trail, like a puppy. 

Sela turned a confused gaze to the skeleton. If Toriel had something up her sleeve, shouldn't they at least try it, or did Sans know something she didn't. Toriel seemed as surprised as Sela, as she turned to him. 

”What is it?” Sela asked.

”I was thinking if I could take a look at your soul. It might shed a light on the situation.” Toriel explained. Sans looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his skull. 

”My soul?” Now Sela was thoroughly confused. 

”It's the actual, physical culmination of our being, everyone has one.” Sans explained, but he was still looking incredibly bothered. ”We monsters have a inborn ability to draw out the soul, be it either humans or monsters. Usually that happens in fights, healing or .. more intimate confrontations.”

”The soul has stats that can be studied once it is drawn out, and the color and the state of the soul usually also tells us alot about the person. It might give us somekind of a clue on the matter.” Toriel concluded. 

”Okay.. Do it.” Sela nodded. 

Sans didn't say anything because he was curious. He wanted to see if it was possible to draw out her soul in the first place.

”This might feel a bit funny, so don't be alarmed.” Toriel warned, placing a hand on her sternum. 

A warmth spread first through her torso and then she could feel the tender pulling, something concentrating in her hearts place. Sela couldn't help but close her eyes as she felt it forming into something that felt much more solid and then it eased out of her.

Everyone gasped.

Sela opened her eyes and her mouth fell open.

Between her chest and Toriels big hand was hovering a sphere-like mass. It was swirling in white, hazy like a small storm of mist. 

”Is it supposed to look like that?” Sela asked, uncertainty edging her words. She had this feeling that she was seeing something weird, like there was supposed to be something ..else.

”No.. Human souls take a form of a traditional heart, monster souls are the same, only upside down.” Toriel was completely perplexed of this ball of mist she had managed to pull out.

”Wasn't sure ya would be able to even bring it out.” Sans remarked. He didn't look that surprised. Frisk was looking at the mist with wide eyes, equally surprised as Toriel and Sela.

”You knew about this?” 

Sela snapped her eyes to the skeleton. How could he have known? Sans just shrugged his shoulders to her, making her squint her eyes in annoyance. More secrets, was it now. She was so tired of that.

”So what does this mean then?” She waved her hand infront of the ball of energy. It wavered lazily from the wind caused by the sudden movement near it.

”It's a soulbarrier.” Sans said thoughtfully. His eyes were roaming the energy, like he was trying to pry past the swirly layers for the soul that was hiding undoubtedly under it. 

”Well.. this is the first time I have seen anything like this.” Toriel concluded, letting the mist slip back into Sela. Sela could feel it, it felt like a gently stream dribbling back into her being, making her whole again. She hadn't even noticed how empty she felt without it. She pressed her hands to her chest, savoring the feeling, breathing in air, like she would've been diving into deep water.

”Never seen somethin' like that either.”

Frisk was signing with their hands and Toriel looked at the child thoughtfully.  
”Frisk is asking, if it's a same kind of barrier, like the one in the Underground was.” 

Sans hummed. He had not thought about that himself and he was again reminded how observant and intelligent Frisk was. 

”Maybe. We would have to do some tests on it to find out.”

”Where exactly can you test a soul?” Sela had not been aware of a physical manifestation of a soul up to this point and an idea that it could be tested on seemed bit of a stretch. She was pretty sure humans didn't have anything like that available.

”Alphys has some equipment. We could probably even build something to do the tests with.” He sounded nonchalant about such a fantastical thing and Sela laughed. 

”Ah right, I forgot you're the science guy.”

”Would it be something you'd want, Sela?” Toriel asked, worry in her voice. Her magic had really helped alot with the pain and as Sela probed her finger, it seemed almost as good as new. The nail still had to grow in place naturally, but the tear that had been inflicted in the nailbed had healed perfectly. 

”Now that my interest has been woken, it would be nice to know why my soul has that thing. Would it be dangerous?”

”Probably not.” Sans was fidgeting again. ”We should have Alphys take a look and say what she thinks about it.”

”Well, let's get some tea and pie. I think the water is ready.” Toriel got up, showing them to the kitchen. There was a big table, decorated with a vase of flowers from the yard. The kitchen looked absolutely immaculate. 

Frisk disappeared somewhere, only to emerge with the pot that held Flowey. The yellow flower was scowling at Sans and spared a bored look at Sela. ”Oh, fun. We have visitors.” 

Toriel gave the flower a warning glare and Frisk was signing to him with deft hands. Sela wondered why the flower seemed to constantly have a chip on his proverbial shoulder. 

Toriel was busy setting lovely mugs with flower patterns all over them at the table, pouring the steaming tea to them. Frisk grabbed the hem of Sela's shirt and tugged. They were signing to her but she had never learned any ASL and looked confused at the child.

”They are asking did you have fun at the party.” Sans translated.

”Yeah, it was nice to meet everyone.” Sela smiled, stirring some honey to her tea.

”Everyone?” Flowey sounded sarcastic and was squinting his already tiny eyes at her. Sela had the feeling he was trying to fish a nasty comment from her but she was determined not to play into his schemes. Instead she pulled the most sickly sweet smile she could muster and nodded to the flower.   
”Yes, everyone.”

Sans chuckled and even Toriel let out a melodic laugh. Frisk made finger guns at her and winked their eye with a smile. Flowey grumbled and turned his stem so he wasnt facing anyone at the table. Sela felt oddly satisfied she had been able to turn his remark around. 

Toriel had placed a delicious applepie on plates and everyone savoured it in relative silence, chatting about light subjects but Sela's mind was stuck on her soul. She did not know anything about the barrier that had enclosed the monsters once and she was trying hard to think how a barrier would have formed around her soul. What did it mean? Even the monsters, who seemed much more well versed in regards of a soul, were at a loss. 

Sela could not help but to plunge into the few memories from her childhood. Had she always had this thing or was it because of her broken childhood? Maybe the sole reason monsters didn't have information about her condition was the fact that they had not been that long on the topside. Surely she couldn't be the only one. How old did the monsters live anyway? Maybe they all were ancient.  
She had to ask.

”So.. about that soulbarrier thing. Umm.. do other humans have those as well?”

Flowey turned back to her. His little face was alight in somewhat malicious curiosity. A shiver ran down Sela's back at his piercing gaze.

”I have not seen one before and I don't think many would have.” Toriel seemed to be thinking about it too.

”Are there.. are there any monsters that were around when you were inprisoned? I'm sorry if I sound   
insensitive, but I really don't know much about your history..” 

”Don't worry my child. You can ask anything you want to. There were some of us that were alive then, me and Asgore for example.” Toriels smile was melancholic and there was sadness in her eyes that made Sela's heart sting. 

”How long ago.. was it?”

”About five hundred years ago, I would say.”

Sela almost choked on her pie. She had guessed it must have been long time ago but when it was said out loud like that the time felt ..insane to put it lightly. And the thought that Toriel was that old was pretty unfathomable. How old had she been when they had been abolished under the mountain? 

”I .. I'm sorry.” She could not find any other words. It was a horribly blatant injustice. Sela had not known monsters that long, but everyone she had met had been friendly. Save for Flowey of course. It did make her wonder, how many other monsters were like him? Had there really been any other reason to inprison the monsters and erase them from the history, than simple human cruelty.

”It is nothing you should ask forgiveness for, my child. It was a long time ago and the barrier is gone now.” Frisk nodded solemnly. Flowey just scoffed, it was clear he was not that impressed about being out of the mountain. 

”Welp. We better get going. We should talk to Alphys about your soul if ya want to see if this thing is somethin' we need to investigate.” Sans stood up and Sela nodded, following him.

”Thank you so much for the healing and tea and pie and.. everything.” Sela smiled shyly to Toriel, who pulled her to another hug, rubbing her back carefully. 

Frisk rushed to her too, pushing themselves to her lap, hugging her so tight it made her laugh. 

”Do tell me if you find out anything. And stay safe, child.” Toriel patted Frisks head, the child trying to shoo her hand that was ruffling their hair out of order. 

”Will do.”


	12. Downtime

When they got back to the brothers house Papyrus, Alphys and Undyne were all in the livingroom binging on some animeshow that seemed to have them enthralled enough that they almost didn't notice.

”BROTHER, SELA, I HAVE YOUR LEFTOVER SPAGHETTI IN THE FRIDGE.” 

”Thanks, bro.” 

Sans went to the kitchen to warm them up plates of the dish and Sela took a seat in the table. She was incredibly tired, feeling a tinge of headache starting to bloom behind her eyelids. The enthusiastic screams of Papyrus and Undyne were certainly not helping the situation.

She felt helpless and worn out by all the socialisation of the day. Sela wanted desperately to just have a moment to herself, but she couldn't be sure if it was a good idea to return to her house. But what could she do? Sela didn't want to just loiter around the neighbors house endlessly. She needed answers and even more than that, she needed solutions.

Sans emerged from the kitchen with two steaming plates full of servings of the food and she thanked him, digging into the heap. It felt good to get something proper to eat.   
Before she had managed few mouthfuls, she noticed Sans' plate was already empty. How the hell did he manage that? The skeleton looked at her innocently when she stared at him with brows knitted together and just shrugged. Go figure then.

”So, should we interrupt them and get Alphys to take a look of that soul of yours?”

Sela chewed on her spaghetti thoughtfully. She did want solutions but she also wanted desperately to just lay her head in a pillow and drift away. So much had happened, that she had not really had time to even process it all. Sela was pretty sure that they would not get thorough answers right away anyway. She shook her head.

”I'm just too tired for that today. This all is a bit ..much.” 

”Yeah, can imagine that. Listen, Sela.. 'm not comfortable with ya goin' up to your house right now. You should stay here for the night. We have a guest bedroom ya can use.”

There was definite worry in Sans' eyelights, Sela could not help but notice how they dimmed at the mere thought of her alone in her house, with what ever that thing was. 

Sela wanted to object, just out of habit, but she had to admit to herself she was afraid of the same thing Sans was probably afraid of. That something else would happen and that this time she would not escape. Still, this could not become a regular thing, it was her house, god damnit! For a moment she could feel the anger flare up in her gut, for the fact that something had driven her so effectively out of her only safe haven. She felt tears burning in her eys but she blinked them back, hoping Sans had not noticed.

”O..okay. Could I use your shower too?” She managed after pushing her feelings to the backburner for now.

”Of course.”

After she had eaten Sans gave her a fluffy, huge towel and Sela thanked him yet again, disappearing to the shower, happy for the moment just to herself. 

She peeled her clothes off, let down her hair and stared herself from the mirror above the sink. She had to admit she was looking rather haggard. The dark circles under her eyes unmistakable now that she had no makeup to cover them. She looked pale and she could see the fear in her eyes, plain as day. 

”Horrible.” She muttered to herself.

Sela had never been that hung up on appearances but there was nothing fetching about fear. She inspected her body carefully, the previous red marks almost gone completely thanks to Toriels healing. There was no pain left and for that she was immeasurably thankful for. The finger looked good too, although a bit odd without the nail, but that would grow back in its time.

Sela cranked the water on, waiting for the perfect temperature and immersed herself to the steaming stream, sighing contently. The hot water did wonders, washing away some of the tension that had sat in her muscles stubbornly. If only the water would wash away her thoughts too. 

With the tension releasing, her feelings seemed to be determined to have a release too. All that fear and panic and uncertainty poured out in the form of tears and she could do nothing but the let them fall. Her brain was set on playing the ”what if”-game despite her resistance. 

What if she could never return home? What if that thing would haunt her forever? What if there would be nothing to battle it with? What if no one could help her? What if she could not help herself? What if there would no answers to her questions? What if.. she would never be safe again?

It was the pinnacle of her fear. Would she ever feel safe again? That would destroy her, crumble her life into ruins. She had been just dropped in the middle of this huge fucking mess and she had absolutely no idea what to do. How to proceed, how to deal with it. She had spent so much of her life suffering in silence that she had gotten used to it, sure, but she had also survived to the point that she had managed to create coping skills for her problems. 

She felt raw, incredibly raw. Stripped off of her armor and stripped off of her comfort, which was a huge part of the way she could cope with her life and her darkest shadows. She couldn't help but wryly admit that the biggest beast in this whole situation was her own inability. Like it had always been. Sela also couldn't help but to ask the age old question of ”why me?”. Oh, she was perfectly aware that it was a futile question indeed, because life was life and no matter what you did, nothing could prevent from simply life just happening.

She felt a childish and reckless resistance for that simple fact rising its ugly head in her heart. She had tried, she had tried her very hardest to keep herself apart from the opportunities for life to spin her around but still it had managed to catch up on her. She wanted to bury herself again, just to run, but really, where could she run? Sela was tied up to the property she now owned. She could maybe sell, sure.. but what would be left of her family then?

Besides.. how could she ensure herself that all of this would just not follow her? It could. She did not have enough information about what it was to be able to predict this phenomena she was in the middle of. 

Sela noticed she had effectively thought herself out of tears and felt refreshed enough to step out of the stream and dry herself up. She could only hope that sleep would not evade her tonight. God knew she needed it. Tomorrow was a new day. Maybe even a better day!

She smiled to herself from the oddly positive thought, letting it swell inside her, absorbing the warmth of it. It was not that often that she would manage to see the silver lining and she was satisfied at herself of the rare moment.

 

Refreshed, Sela had joined the others in the livingroom, getting actually rather wrapped up in the series they were watching. It was a great distraction she fully welcomed and she had to admit it, it felt pretty darn good to sit with these monsters that had effectively invaded her life. Papyrus was so innocent and sweet it was hard to believe, while Undyne was hard around the edges, but after watching her interract with her friends Sela decided she also had a heart of gold.   
Alphys had her shy side, but it melted wondrously away when she was in her element, which clearly was anime. Only one who seemed reserved was Sans.

He sure was a odd one out. Not that it showed that much but Sela could see something similar in him that she herself had. Sans was relaxed enough around his friends and brother to probably fool the most but she had seen him dodge questions enough to see there was something he was keeping tightly to himself. She could not tell if the other monsters knew that or not but if they were aware of it they didn't show it. 

He joked and lazed around but he had told himself he was pretty well versed in sciense so he must have not always been as lazy as he could come across as. It was strangely very humanlike quality he had. Other monster she had met seemed so open about things and then there was Sans. 

As the evening dwindled on and everyone started to yawn, it was collectively decided to turn in for the night. Sans made sure to ask Alphys to be available the next day, for him and Sela to have the talk about the possibilities of inspecting her soul and Alphys was very exited about it. Even Undyne perked up as they were discussing it.

”A soulbarrier, huh. Never heard of a thing like that.” The fishmonsters eye was looking intently at Sela, like she was trying to decipher her out on the spot.

”Yes! I.. it sure is a pre..pretty interesting t..thing to get to s..study!” 

”As long as I'm not turned into a labrat.” Sela's smile was strained. Alphys' enthusiasm was enough to make her a bit hesitant of tomorrow. 

”D..don't worry! I'm s..sure we will g..get some answers, I w..will have to a..assess if we n..need to build a spe..specific equipment, but with Sans' help.. w..we can do it!” She reassured her and Sela nodded. 

”What about the thing that attacked her?” Undyne pondered, her brow lowering. ”Something should be done about that too.”

”I did do some research about sleep paralysis earlier when I started to experience it again.. I have to admit I don't know what exactly is going on, but there are multiple accounts in the internet about somewhat similar things happening to people.” Sela admitted, her voice trembling only for a moment. She didn't really want to delve into those stories again but she had to admit there might be something there that she could use.

”I can look into it.” Sans seemed to pick up on her hesitation and Sela felt grateful for his quick wits. ”If there's somethin' we can learn, we can use that information to move forward.” 

Alphys could see the spark in Sans' eyes, the one that told her that he was extremely eager to find something new to study. Even if the situation was grim, she could also see the good it was doing to the skeleton monster. 

Alphys had known him long enough to see him inexplicably slip into a near lethargic and apathetic set of mind after he had stopped working in the lab and she had been very worried about it. She had tried many times to talk to him about it but Sans had always turned her down, masking his true feelings behind that smile and after some time she had given up. Alphys had never understood but now she was beginning to wonder again. What had really happened to him? And would the life they now lived freed from the mountain, jumpstart him into something he had once been?  
She was sure that she would be able to coax him into sciense again, even more sure than before and that made her soul flutter with joy.

After Alphys and Undyne returned to their house, the brothers and Sela retreated to their rooms as well. Sela was so tired she hardly could mutter out a thank you as Sans showed her the room. 

”Snow problem. I'll be just in the next room if ya need anythin'.”

Sela just nodded, with eyes already half closed. Sans chuckled, wishing a good night and disappeared to his bedroom. Sela flopped on the comfortable bed and managed to yank the blanket on top of her, before she was out cold.

 

_There was pulling in her chest she could not comprihend. All was so dark, she could not even see her own limbs no matter how hard she tried._

_It felt almost like the void, there was a feeling of falling.. only slowly this time. Like she was suspended in mid air, hovering towards a destination she had no grasp of._

_There was no feelings in the darkness. Just the slight movement inside her that compelled her to continue forward. No feeling of fear, no feeling of being hunted like before._

_Then.. then there was something. Something felt a bit cold. Something in her feet. She tried to see but there was nothing. Something brushed by her, something soft and wispy, like mist. She breathed out and floated onwards. She had to get somewhere, something was calling her. Needing her. She needed to get there._

_Her heart felt heavy suddenly. The sensation spread into her gut, her head, her whole body. She felt so strained, so slow. Like she was pushing through a thick barrier of air that compressed around her and in her. It ached. It was becoming hard to breathe._

_Something was flickering faintly in her periphal vision, wisps of light that were not exactly light at all. Something was moving there and even when she managed to turn her head, it still lingered somewhere in the edge, not quite there. She could not make out the color or the form of what she was almost seeing._

_She floated to a stop, the heavines concentrating into an iron grip around her. She stuggled to pull air to her lungs, heart pounding painfully in her chest, her mouth gaping open in a silent plea that went unheard._

_The things swirling in the edge of her vision drew closer, more defined shapes, like tendrils of something semi-solid. They glowed faintly in the darkness, slithering closer and closer, until they were caressing her limbs almost lovingly. She tried to fight against the restraints on her being but she was defenceless against what ever was happening._

_She felt the elongated forms snake around her feet and arms, pulling them and forcing her to a position, like she was embracing someone. She could feel it then. She was forced around to a defined form of someone. She could feel the thrum of energy inside the form, forcing her heart to follow the rhythm._

_She strained her head, tilting it upwards, like she was compelled to do it.  
She could see it then. The round, glowing spheres that stared right into her very soul. The light in them pulsed with satisfaction, bursting into blinding, purple light that made her eyes water but she could not look away._

Sela could see as the light dimished into a burning ember in the eyes that held her captive. 

The mouth of the thing holding her cracked into a vicious, gleeful smile that made her heart stop altogether in horror. She tried to scream but it still had her controlled, forced into a silence that made her mind recoil in regocnition that tore into her like a knife.

_**You can not run from me, darling.** _

The door behind her slammed shut.


	13. Heart of Darkness (R)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for those faint of heart! If you don't want to read smut or gore or anything the like, I will mark the chapters with (R). Avert thy eyes! Others.. enjoy.. ;) It's gonna be pretty intense.

 

”No, please, NO! Let me go!”

Sela screamed, the shear volume of her voice hurting her throath. She would have been surprised that the thing had let go some of the control over her for her to do that, but as its malevolent, low chuckling welled inside it, Sela knew it was intentional.

The horror grappling her wanted to hear her screams. 

_**Oh, now that I have you right where I wanted you.. there will be no escaping.** _

Tears were rolling down Sela's face, unbidden and bitter. She wanted to close her eyes, recoil from the things gaze but she was still held in place by it like she was hypnotized by it.

”Why, what do you want from me?!” Sela tried to fight against it, trashing in its hold as it laughed in plain delight. Its eyes pulsed in tandem of the voice, making shivers run down her whole form. 

_**Your pleading is pointless. I am merely taking what was promised and given on to me.** _

”I have promised you nothing! Leave me alone!”

The thing snarled, low rumble rising from its form and it carried such a weight that it rendered Sela temporarily breathless, trying to regain her composure. It was hard to even think straight.  
Finally the thing blinked and Sela was freed fully from the intense stare. 

Sela franticly looked at the thing, really seeing it for the first time and immediately regretting her decision to do that. He was intimidatingly tall, composed of darkness that was far deeper than anything she had ever seen, his form shifting oddly in the dimness of her house. His hold still held weight, like he was as real as she was.

His face was white as bone, black cracks traveling from the right eye up his head to disappear in the back, the other one snaking from his left eye down to his crooked smile that split his face unnaturally. His mouth was filled with teeth that resembled something out of a horrorfilm, sharp and menacing. His right eye drooped slightly, but there was something eerily similar in his eyes to Sans' eyesockets. His eyes were also black pits, the purple lights moving just like the skeletons pinpricks. He had no nose and that made his face just so much more horrific.

_**Like what you see, my dear?** _

It growled, no humor in his cold voice that felt like she could sense it on multiple different levels. It was like a deep bass that tremored right into her flesh and still she could percieve it with her ears as a low and slightly gravelly mans voice. It made her heart shrink in fear.

”Wh..what are you!” Sela managed to whisper out, trembling in his hold like a frightened animal.

He bent towards her with a low chuckle, Sela stiffened in fear as he brought his face down to the side of her head, his breath on her throath moving her hair languidly as he whispered into her ear.

_**It matters not. What matters is that I claim you as mine, for that medling, miserable skeleton to see.**_

His words sent a fresh wave of panic through Sela, her hands twitching against his form. What the hell did he mean by that? Claim her? Sela tried to push against the thing, only to feel like she was trying to push away a wall made of steel. She couldn't move him an inch. The thing growled again, his mouth full of razorsharp teeth far too close to her neck for her liking. Sela could not help the fear prickling in her back, making her heart pound in panic, her eyes squeezing shut. He would surely be able to tear her into pieces just with his teeth.

”Please.. don't..” Sela didn't get to finish her plea. She could make out his hands, his claws running up her back, lightly scratching her skin through the fabric of her shirt, his other hand stopping at her shoulderblades, the other snaking through her hair, only to yank her head to the side harshly, a surprised yelp escaping her lips.

She could feel something scaldingly hot and wet tracing against her skin and she tried to escape him again, pushing and pulling herself in any direction. His arm around her wasn't budging and as she tried to kick him he only growled out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a snarl.  
Sela started to tremble uncontrollably when she felt his canines skimming along her sensitive skin, panting out in terror.

The thing didn't bite down fully, only making shallow cuts along the crook of her neck, humming in satisfaction, the fiery scorch of his tongue tasting the blood that oozed from the wounds. More tears slipped down Sela's cheeks. This could not be happening! 

She could hear him humming in satisfaction through the intense thrumming ringing in her ears. 

_**Your fear tastes excuisite.** _

The nightmare straightened, smiling down at her and she could see her own blood glimmering in his fangs, his purple tinged, almost black tongue swiping the remains into his maw. The sight raised the hairs on her skin up, a primordial fear of being eaten alive rising like bile in her throath. There was also a burst of anger in her gut, shooting her hand up without her realising it as she slapped the thing in its hard face, the sound ringing sharply in the space.

Sela gasped, drawing her hands protectively to her lips, her stomach sinking as she understood what she had done. 

His eyes flashed in almost red color, his features shifting into a grimace, eyes narrowing, mouth turning into a snarl that almost instantly hitched to a smile. It bursted into a laughter that grated against Sela's mind, turning her horror to confusion and trepidation. 

Wordlessly the thing threw her into the wall, the hard surface colliding into her back, making her hunker down in pain, her legs almost giving up under her. It was back upon her before she could even cry out, only a suffocated grunt pushing past her lips. Its large hand locked on her neck, pinning her to the wall, rising her so she had to fight to stay on the tips of her toes. He was not strangling her that hard, only making her breathing slightly harder.

_**Should you try that again, you might not like what happens to your delicate arm, dear.** _

Sela wheezed, her hands flying up the the hand and she could feel the odd, round hole in the middle of his palm. She tried to scrape the hand with her nails but it was no use, his hand was as hard as bone, they only skipped on the surface, making a miserable little noise. 

His other hand reached to her, pushing against her sternum, Sela braced for impact, but he did not push her ribcage in like she had initially feared. Instead she could feel him drawing out her soul, like Toriel had earlier. This felt much more different tho. She didn't want him to see it, she had not consented into any of this, and it felt all kinds of wrong. There was intense pressure, burning pulling that she couldn't help but fight against, but his resolve was far greater than hers. Sela's soul burst out with a strangled gasp and a sharp pain that brought fresh tears to her eyes. 

The mist swirled angrily between them, concealing her soul in the sphere she had seen before.

The nightmare quirked its undamaged brow, staring at the mist in intense wrath that seethed out of his form in pulsing wisps of smoke. A dangerous rumble sounded from his throath.

_**What is this.. Ah, I see. A dying mans last wish..** _

Sela had no time to internalise what he had uttered as he brought his clawed hand near the mist, curling the fingers into the mist. Oh dear God it burned! Sela screamed, trashing in his grip. It felt like molten lava had been poured to her insides, her heart shrinking painfully against the pain. She couldn't even see through the haze in her eyes.

_**Hmm. No matter. Only a minor setback.** _

He withdrew his claws from the mist and Sela cried in relief. The pain subsided into a numb throbbing in her chest as the mist fell back into her, making her whole again. She felt almost light, untill his next words ran down her like a bucket of cold water.

_**There are other ways to claim you yet in the meantime.** _

He ripped into her shirt without a warning, yanking the shredded remains upwards, forcing Sela's arms up against the wall, a tendril of darkness darting to her wrists, holding her effectively in place. The nightmare let go of her neck, only to rip her bra off with force that made the material burn her skin horribly. 

Sela understood immediately what was going to happen from the burning gaze of the monster looming infront of her. His mouth was spread into a sinister, promising smile. Sela screamed, trying to pull her hands free from the restraints. What ever his black magic was, it was not letting her free herself. If anything, the hold it had on her seemed to grow stronger.

He didn't seem to mind her trashing at all, ripping away her shorts and panties, leaving her completely bare before him. His burning eyes roamed on her exposed form, Sela tried to flinch away from the heated stare, biting down her teeth in shame and anger and pushing her thighs together as hard as she could. 

_**I see my previous marks have been taken care of.. I will simply have to be more... thorough this time..** _

He licked his teeth, forboding tone clear in his voice. Sela swallowed dryly, she didn't want to see what would happen but she was stuck, a prey caught in his trap, completely in his mercy.

The nightmare ripped something off of itself, like a long coat that had concealed his marred flesh. Sela watched in wordless horror as the seething fabric fell to the floor in a heap, his white torso was riddled in purplish marks, almost like tattoos that had very little meaning to her, they were symbols she had never seen. The marks spread out from the middle of his chest in a expanding ring, following the lines of his lean muscles. He breathed deep and the marks pulsed in dim light.

As the marks pulsed they seemed to summon out a pair of disjointed hands, similar to his actual hands, with holes in the palms. The hands floated effortlessly across the air to her sides, sliding up, feeling her skin. The summoned hands felt hard and burning, small, pained breaths escaped between Sela's gritted teeth. They were slowly running upwards, sliding up to her breasts, cupping around them and pinching into her nipples like little vices. She keened, her head crashing back to the wall.

Sela could feel the intense pain like knives, her fear blossoming wildly in her stomach, she wished for her mind to cloud over, to just faint, just not the feel this horrible helplessness, to not feel this living nightmare toying with her. 

_**Yes, please, do scream for me, Sela..** _

Her name uttered by the monster was too much, her sobs braking out of her, mixing into his appreciative purr that reverbarated through the air. He stalked forward, his free hands dragging her right leg up in the air, effectively parting them. Sela could feel him grinding teasingly against her exposed pussy.

”No, please, no..” 

He only huffed a heated breath over her to her objections, clearly not interested in anything she would have to say.

Sela could feel him through his trousers, heated and wide, his lenght pushing her lips apart slightly and mortified, she could not help but feel the unwelcomed arousal welling up in her loins. Her mind screamed in frustration but her body had decided to co-operate to his administrations. 

He slipped his other hand down to her parted legs, the other keeping her leg pinned between them, his claws digging into the soft flesh of her thigh. The stinging of the grip was painful but his hard fingers delving between her slightly damp labia overwrote it easily as his fingers circled her clit, sending jolts of pleasure into her that she did not want to feel.

_**So ready for me already.. Your lips may deny me, but your body does not. Let us see how far we can push this then, shall we..** _

Sela was determined to not give into him, gritting her teeth further, turning her face to the dark room. She did not want this, never!

The thing merely chuckled, eliciting involuntary trembles from her with his skilled fingers rubbing her, slipping a finger inside her, his long finger reaching further than anyone before and Sela could not help the drawn out inhale she had to take. He slipped in another, Sela could feel herself tensing around his digits, the summoned hand caressing her soft curves intently. He had lowered his head to her neck again, his huffing heated against her skin. 

She felt the coil inside her tightening, the stimulation forcing her body to accept the impending orgasm but held fast against it. She would not let go. She would not submit and betray her mind like that. 

It was like he knew she was trying to hold off, as he rumbled and suddenly bit into her neck, simultaneously striking just the right spot inside her with such precision that she bursted into her high without any ability to stop it, pleasure and sharp pain mixing into each other. 

A strained wail drifted through the air, her eyes flowing with tears and her muscles constricting against her tormentor. He was slathering her juices over her sex, growl emitting from somewhere deep inside his chest, his teeth moving minutely in her flesh. As he let go of her neck he groaned in pleasure, his eyes pulsing with light so brightly that Sela could see it through the haze of her high. The pain in her neck increased by the second as she floated back to grim reality – still pinned against the wall.

Sela had not even realised she was mumbling incohorently inbetween her panting, all her efforts to resist so completely crushed by his actions.

She noticed too late that he had hoisted her higher, his member freed from the constricts of his slacks, the thick head already pushing against her, demanding entrance. Sela tried to fight against him but his hands were gripping her with bruising force, she could do nothing more than let him impale her with his lenght. 

A cry tore through her throath, it was too big, too soon, too much! He did not hilt all the way in, dragging the shaft back and plunging back with force, sinking a little more into her straining slit. He was growling like an animal the whole time, pulling back, using his weight to bore more into her everytime until Sela felt she could not take more. Her wails and cries went unheard, as he seemed intent on braking her.

Finally he crammed harshly against her cervix, his body flush against her, the wall chaving her back and the deepseated pressure wrenching inside her with the burning in the walls inside her hole, trying desperately to manage his girth.  
He stilled for a moment, Sela was trying to breathe through the intense pain but it was so hard. He forced her face towards him, a dark grin on his face.

_**Good girl.. Now.. Let me brake you completely.** _

He started a rough pace, pushing Sela's pain to yet another level, her breath flowing in ragged, highpitched sobs, making his smile widen impossibly nefarious. His claws were digging into her flesh, blood welling up from the punctures, flowing down her legs. 

Miraculously the pain started to ebb and Sela's body gave into the sensation of him hitting into all of her spots, making her flushed and out of breath, he was filling her every sense, a dark energy seeping from him to her. He catched her lips in his, forcing his burning tongue into her mouth, baiting hers to submit to him. His dominating presence pushed against her soul, she could feel it writhing inside her in agony, bordering the pleasure her body was experiencing with desperation.

The merciless pace he was setting sent her soon to her next orgasm, white lights flickering in her vision as she clenched around his cock, earning a low purr out of the monster. Sela wailed into his mouth, trying hard to push him off as he didn't slow his pace after she started to come down, feeling  
too raw, too sensitive.

Sela's hands flopped down from the restraints that had vanished, right into his shoulders that she gripped with what little strength she had left. He let her leg down, gripping onto the side of her thighs, hoisting her to his lap as he stood tall. He was forcing her body down his lenght, impaling her effectively on him. Her head dropped back, no longer supported by the wall, she could barely register he was moving her somewhere. 

When he dropped her unceremoniously onto something hard, she slowly realised he was fucking her in her kitchen, her back on the table. She was pleading him to stop but he didn't either hear or care, if anything he seemed to take on even harder pace, his shaft sending jolts on pain and pleasure into her. Before long Sela could feel him edging her into another burst, his hard panting wafting across her sweaty skin, she didn't know if she could take another.

Wether she could or not, she had no choice but to let the coil inside her spring open, her whole body convulsing from the intense orgasm that shot through her, leaving her trembling and terrified. 

The nightmare clutched her jaw, forcing her to look into his eyes as he snarled right into her very being; 

_**You. Are. Mine.** _

He grabbed her hand, wrenching it towards his mouth that he was slowly opening, his eyes pulsing with cruel intent as he bit down on the side of her palm. Sela screamed, her voice almost gone, his canines puncturing the skin with ease but he didn't stop there. His jaw pushed further, she could feel the grinding, the absolutely all encompassing agony that burst in her nerves as the bones in her palm crunched in his vicious bite. Blood was gushing from between his teeth, the burn of his eyes even brighter as he finally came inside her, his essence spilling into her battered body, burning her further. 

As his jaws let go of her hand Sela felt her mind finally caving in, darkness rushing from her periphal vision, her whole body succumbing to the strain. She had never been so thankful to loose conciousness.


	14. Damage Control

It was three a.m when Sans woke, his whole body drenched in sweat. Another nightmare. Only thing he could remember was the golden judgement hall, painted in blood splatters and the endless dance of bones and parrying the onslaught of attacks.

His hands were trembling, magic going haywire in the dark room, illuminating everything in hues of blue. He clutched his head, willing his energy to calm down and just trying to breathe. It was as hard as ever, the clicking of his bones faint in the midsts of the thundering in his head.

Finally the panic subsided, leaving him exhausted but unable to slip back into sleep. He got up with a sigh, another sleepless night ahead, he needed coffee. Sans made his way out of his bedroom, careful not to bumb into anything in his bleary state.

Sans glanced at the door of the guest bedroom. He might as well take a quick peek how Sela was doing, hopefully sleeping soundly. He cracked the door open silently, his eyes trailing to the bed. It was empty.

Sans felt his metaphorical heart skidding to a stop, his hand ripping the door open, the pinpricks of his eyes scanning the room in alarm. She wasn't in there. He bolted to the livingroom, which was equally calm. Nothing in the kitchen. No Sela in the bathroom. His left eye flared into life with a audible swoosh as he came to the realisation that she was not in the house.

Sans ripped himself through the void to Sela's frontdoor, shaking in fear. God, he wished he would find her. That she was safe, that she had just wanted to go home, maybe not being able to sleep in unfamiliar surroundings. His soul knew it wasn't so but he held on to that hope for dear life, he didn't want to believe in any of the other alternatives his mind was conjuring up. 

He touched the doorknob and with a small creak the door drifted open like the house was inviting him, but it was not a warm welcome. He could feel the baleful energy lingering inside, almost mocking his wish that everything would be alright. 

Warily Sans stepped inside, listening intently at the deceptive silence. 

”Sela? Kiddo, ya in there?”

There was no answer, only the insidious feeling that something was very, very wrong.  
Sans searched the livingroom, everything was in order. When he stepped to the kitchen he froze momentarily. His eyes landed on her crumbled body.

A flash of his nightmare shot through his mind – blood smeared on her skin, the floor and the table. He was on her in a blink of an eye, carefully brushing the damp strands of her hair out of her face. She was deathly pale, breathing shallowly, pained expression plastered on her features even when she wasn't conscious.

”Oh fuck..” Sans breathed through his teeth, his eyes vanishing. He took stock of her body, naked and bruised and scratched. There were clear bitemarks on her neck and the palm of her right hand was mangled into a bloody mess. He could see a bone peeking through a tear in her flesh and it made him almost heave. 

The absolute worst was the realisation that there was something staining the insides of her thighs. Rage and horror boiling inside him made way for a far more appalling feeling, guilt. Shit, he should have not let her be alone, this was his fault. He had succeeded in fucking yet another thing up and the thought made him clench his teeth in burning frustration.

How could he be so stupid? How could he be so careless? He should have known better, should have predicted better. The dangerous downspiral of his thoughts were cut short as Sela whimpered, the lids of eyes fluttering but not opening. She was in pain. Fuck, he hoped it would be alright to move her. He quickly inspected her limbs, nothing else was broken besides her hand.

Sans gathered her carefully in his arms, teleporting to his livingroom, sweat beading his forehead. This was all so wrong. He carried her to the guest bedroom, laying her down, minding the injured arm with as much care as possible. He needed to call Toriel. Now.

 

_”Sans.. it is half past three in the night, what..”_

”Sela is.. Sela.. you need to come here right now! Please, Tori, I'll teleport there, she needs help, it can't wait, something.. Fuck... Something happened..” He was rambling and he knew it but he couldn't help the flood of feelings coursing through him, making his whole body shake uncontrollably. 

_”Calm down, Sans. I'll be waiting. Do not worry.”_ Toriels voice was concerned and Sans could hear subtle rustling in her end as she was getting up. 

”I'll be right there.”

 

Sans rushed to his brothers room and shook him awake.  
”SANS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Papyrus' eyes searched his fearstricken face in alarm. 

”Bro, I need you to sit by Sela for a minute. I'm gonna get Tori.” 

”WHAT HAPPENED?! IS SHE ALRIGHT?” Papyrus shot up and started for the door but stopped when Sans' hand clasped onto his wrist.

”Wait. Papyrus, I need you to keep calm. She's in pretty bad shape, not gonna lie. You have to make sure she stays..” He trailed off, his eyelights flicking nervously. Papyrus only nodded, he was scared and Sans hated that he had to be subjected to that but he could do nothing about it. He just couldn't leave Sela without supervision.

Sans lead him to the other bedroom, he had flicked the small reading light on the far wall on and covered Sela's bare body with a blanket. Papyrus gasped as he saw her, going straight to the edge of the bed, reaching a hand to her. His head swiveled to face Sans, a silent question passing between the brothers. Sans nodded and he laid his hand gingerly on her cheek. 

”Brother, she is burning up.” Papyrus lowered his voice into a strained whisper, Sans could see the distress in his gaze, as the taller skeleton saw her state. Papyrus didn't ask anything and for once Sans was relieved for it. Hell, he did not want to tell him, although he was sure Papyrus would come to conclusions at some point or another. He knew his brother was not stupid. 

”I'm gonna be back as fast as I can. Stay put. Call me if _anything_ happens, right?” Sans squeezed his shoulder, the skeleton nodding fervently. 

He blibbed into the void.

 

”Take Frisk to Asgore, would you please.” Toriel had already dressed when he appeared into the ex-queens house. She had the child coddled in her arms, and they were fast asleep. Even so, they were clutching Floweys pot and the flower regarded him with a tired sneer.

”What's going on anyway.” The monster whispered with a yawn.

”Nothing you should be concerned with.” Sans' voice was shaking and Flowey shut up effectively. He could sense his magic fluttering madly inside the bones that made up his body and knew not to egg him on. Whatever it was, it was serious. Flowey grumbled and slithered further into the blanket that was wrapped around Frisk and kept his mouth shut while Sans teleported them to Asgores house.

Asgore was awake, Toriel had probably called him right after Sans. The king was in his pajamas, waiting patiently in his kitchen by a cup of steaming tea.

”Sorry, I know it's late.” Sans offered Frisk to him and his strong arms lifted the bundle easily. 

”It's no problem. Will you call when you can, Sans. I want to know if everyone is alright.” 

Sans couldn't look to his kings eyes, the guilt he was feeling was too heavy in his soul and he knew Asgore could probably sense it. On some level he knew it was stupid, having this terrible weight and taking the blame for a thing he had no control over but god, he wished he could have.  
He sighed heavily. There was no time to stay and explain to the King of monsters, what was really going on, even if he wanted to. The need to have something _done_ weighed heavily on his soul, something more violent than just getting Toriels help. Because he knew, he just knew, that Asgore would have rallied immediately, would he have known that Sela had been attacked. Only problem was, they didn't know who was the culprit to the heinous crime committed. 

For all he knew there was a possibility that everything would have gone from bad to worse - monsters and humans traipsing out on the mountainside, looking for someone to hunt. He had watched enough human tv by this point to see how mobmentality could go wrong in multiple ways. They needed more knowledge and most of all, Sela needed Toriels help now. 

He concentrated on the matter at hand that he had came here to do, with a promise to Asgore he would call later and shortcut back to Toriel, taking her warm paw in his hand and wordlessly teleporting them back to his house. 

Papyrus was faithfully guarding Sela, who clearly had not so much as stripped in the short time it took Sans to get Toriel.  
Toriel gasped as she saw her, her paw leaving Sans' hand as she rushed to the side of the bed.

”Sans.. what happened??” Her voice was low, brimming with horror when she touched Sela's clammy forehead. Toriels violet eyes scanned her face, any lingering ounce of sleep disappeared. 

”I .. I left her to sleep and woke up.. only to find her gone. She.. she was in her house.. like this.” It was hard to talk, his emotions making his voice strained and scratchy. 

”You could have not known.” Toriel turned to him, her eyes hard but there was underlying sadness in there that Sans did not want to see. Damn, she was way too clever to pick up on what his mind was doing. She may have not known about the resets and the agony he had had to endure, watching the whole Underground die by the hands of the demon that had possessed Frisk, but she was wise and old enough to see there was something going on with him that made him this way. 

She knew him, probably better than most. When they had been back in the Underground, he had talked to her about many things he had not divulged to anyone else and it had been easy, since there was a door between them. When they had been freed it was another thing entirely. 

Toriel had tried, she had tried very hard to get him to talk to her, but Sans could not shake his old habits. Hiding behind a smile felt so much safer, so much easier than to actually reveal his true feelings, even to a friend. His walls were built too high and too thick to hammer through that easily. 

”I should have.” Sans grunted, turning from them. He could hear his brother exhaling softly. Yeah, he wasn't stupid. He was more aware of Sans' mental states than he himself cared to admit. 

”I'll make some tea.” Papyrus strolled out, the weight of his brothers stubborn resolve in selfpity probably too much for the younger brother. Toriel didn't continue, turning her full attention to Sela's still unconscious form. 

Sans felt her healing magic starting to flow softly into the whole space and without really wanting to, he found himself somewhat relaxing to it. He turned back, he really had no time to wallow right now. It was far more important to care for Sela.

”There was no sign of the assailant?” The goatmonsters soft voice sounded as he sat down on a stool next to the bed.

”No.. I just grabbed her as fast as I found her and teleported here.” 

”Should we call a police?” 

”No.. It's pretty fucking clear that whatever did this to her ain't no human, Tori. In the worst case scenario and that's a pretty damn plausible, they would blame monsters for this. And you and me both know there is no monster that would do something like this.” Sans hated to say it. He hated the fact that it was true. He desperately wanted to do something but he only could see how wrong this could turn in a jiffy if they alerted the officials. 

Toriel gave him a stern look for the cursing but he was way too tired to care, or clean up his language. This situation was grim enough for few curses in his opinion. Tori couldn't offer anything for his dreary look on the humans as she knew too much of them to see he was sadly right. 

She concentrated on her healing instead, letting the magic flow into Sela's battered body, but as she felt the extent of her injuries through the energy, she was mortified. Toriel could feel the dark precense lingering in her very flesh. She could feel the attack on her soulbarrier like a knife in her own hide, she flinched from the sensation. It was incredibly malicious, nothing she had ever encountered had felt like this. 

Sans startled at her reaction, his eyes roaming her in distress. 

”Poor child! I can feel the.. the.. ” She could not find grave enough words to relay her dismay. ”It feels evil.” Even the idea that someone could take someone without their consent felt beyond vile.  
It made anger rise even in her kind and forgiving soul. 

Toriel tried to concentrate yet again, guiding her healing with precision. She could feel it seeping into Sela, mending the scratches and scrapes, easing her bruising. Sela's mangled hand was a harder case to fix, Toriel could do only so much to such an extensive injury. And there was certainly nothing to do magicwise to the emotional trauma she must have suffered. There was no telling how she would be when she finally woke up. 

Suddenly she jolted again, something didn't feel quite right. Not that anything was right.. but even more wrong. Toriels brow knitted together in worry, Sans was watching her intently.

”What is it?”

Toriel just shook her head, trying to hone in on the weird feeling. It seemed to evade her magic, like water evaded oil. She formed her healing into a web across her being, instead of the stream she had used. The intense feeling of the malignous intent behind the wrongness intensified and she could identify it finally being magic. She gasped. 

It did not feel like magic that humans extremely rarely could wield. Human magic was coarse and potent, it felt like gravel if you could feel it by hand, whereas monsters magic felt more like fine sand, refined and mallable. This felt like neither of those. This had the feeling of broken glass, sharp and slippery – it easily pricked her magic away like it was nothing.

The magic was concentrated more around her soulbarrier, although it was lingering around everywhere, counterattacking her healing effectively. Toriel lifted her hands off of Sela. The more she tried, the more the magic agitated and seemed to fight her off. Who ever was responsible, was stronger than her and that alone made cold shivers travel up her back, bristling her fur.

”She is marked.”


	15. Waking to Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I tried drawing Gaster - succeeding somewhat well. Here's the thing -
> 
> http://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/image/143171558495
> 
> And if someone knows how to link crap to this site, please enlighten me. I suck.

 

He was standing in her house, tall and dark, his body expelling lazy mist-like tendrils that moved through the air like snakes. He was thoroughly enjoying the scents and lingering bits of energy in the space, ruminating on them like a predator over the scent of his prey. There was a dangerous glint in his purple eyes, pulsing softly in traces of red.

Ahh.. the air had the taste of her blood, tears and sweat still present, with his own passions. Tasting it faintly on his tongue made his mouth water with anticipation. He almost wanted to draw a door to her through the void, but he restricked himself. He had more selfcontrol than that, after all. He would wait and see how his mark would unfurl around her soul, he would patiently wait for the pressure to grow and bloom into a call she could not forbid from answering.

The creature stalked to the kitchen, his breath clouding in the air, his crooked smile lifting into new wicked heights as he tasted the skeletons horror on finding her body, painted in his violence.  
It had a lovely tinge of despair and pain that he decadently relished, his lids lowering, the burning of his eyes like flickering candles. A soft chuckle rolled forth from his chest, this was so much more satisfying than he had even anticipated. 

All that time spent scattered across the void, devoid of any feeling, deprived from the senses he had once been so used to, had left a gaping hole in his very being, making the ability to finally feel so much more precious. Even the fact that he had stumbled across a chance to escape his torment had been extremely unlikely. He could have never even predicted such an occurrance and once it had presented itself, he had latched on like a leech. 

It had not been easy, despite the chance. It had only been a small respite from a greater problem at hand, there were still pieces of his essence drifting somewhere in the void that he had not been able to locate. He was lucky that soulmagic had always been one of his specialities, among the many other objects of his interests. 

And the transformation he had gone through unavoidably since his escape from the void.. yes, it had stripped him of many facets that had originally been a part of him. All the things he had undergone had hardened him, molded him into the thing he now was. He knew he was neither an anomaly in the void or a monster anymore. What he was, was much, much more now. He did not feel anything about the fact that his old self had been different. He didn't waste time in pointless nostalgy, he did not possess such emotions. 

He turned around, facing the door of her home. His hands folding behind him, an introverted expression on his features. The soulbarrier had been a surprise, something he had not anticipated and it made him slightly annoyed. It might have been a minor setback but it was still a setback. He had not expected the feeble man to manage that kind of magic. It was rare for humans to even possess such powers. 

Regardless, he would get what was his for the taking. In his mind, there wasn't even a chance of not succeeding. He could feel his soul pulsating inside his being, the flesh that was not yet completed fully to exist on this plane of existence all the time. He had been using his powers a bit recklessly, but the part of him that savoured his recent.. endeavours, did not regret. He had still managed to put his plan into action and now he would have time to conduct few experiments in the meanwhile. 

With a sinister, little smile he felt the energy inside his soul recoil with fear as he was calculating how much more he would have to absorb in order to remain stable as a physical being. As much as he already had leeched from the souls of the ones so carelessly offering themselves to him, he needed to finish what he had started. The squirming inside him made his soul hungry and shiver in anticipation. 

He vanished like a shadow that had never really been there to the void, his mind set on locating those who he would victimize next. He enjoyed that these individuals had not even contemplated their own hunger for power to turn on them in such a way. In his mind, they were lesser beings, they did not deserve any mercy from him. Once there might have been a part of him that would have regarded mercy as an option but it was long gone now. No room for useless leniency.

 

Sans was slumping on the kitchen table, a half-forgotten mug of coffee in his hand. He was drifting in and out of restless sleep, left in peace by Papyrus, who normally would have kicked his ass up.  
His brother was again watching over Sela, who had not yet woken and he had completely exhausted himself after teleporting Toriel back to her house.

Toriel had explained to him what she had meant with Sela being marked. That there was some dark energy circulating in her system that resisted her magic with frightful force, she could not rid her of it. That really didn't make much sense to him. Sans knew how good Toriel was with her healing and the thought of something more powerful sent him into a tailspin that questioned many things. He was well aware that there were things in this world he did not know, but faced with them in this way made him feel so utterly helpless. It was infuriating.

The fact that she had stated it was neither human or monster magic that was inside her brought up his insatiable hunger for knowledge. There surely had to be information somewhere, right? He had hard time believing that any of this would have been unprecedented. And if by some unlucky chance it was, he would get to the bottom of it. He now had the chance to finally do something about this and he didn't want to waste it. 

Underground his apathy had left him listless and for most part terribly unable to _really_ try his best, but now? It was something he was coming around to with a guilty conscience. Maybe if he would have found the ability to care as much as he should have, he could've spared himself so much misery. It all careened back into him blaming himself for what had happened in past timelines. He refused to take that route this time. The thought that there would be no second takes filled his soul with fear he had not felt in a long time.

Huffing, he downed the cold and bitter liquid in his mug and forced himself up from the chair. Time to go and search for some stuff online. He had said he would and now he had newfound vigor for the task.

 

Sans was surprised to find so much knowledge online about sleep paralysis and all the things implied with it. Even contradicting information, but as something that should have not existed by the common knowledge of science he had to take to consideration that all the speculations must have had some valid points in there. When he had come across the concept of demons he had paused.

Everything he read on the subject rang with chilling realization that it sounded awfully familiar. The general atmosphere in Sela's house and the things that she had described held some similarity to stories of people being haunted by such creatures. A shiver ran through him as he recounted the memories of Chara, the spirit that had so many times taken possession of Frisk in Underground. Chara might have been closest he had ever come to something like a demon. Sans could not be sure it had been one, because Chara had at least once been human. Besides he did not have any knowledge if Chara had had any other abilities besides them being able to possess Frisk when their guard had been down. The scientist in him reckoned it could be just because Chara had been a child when they died. He knew for a fact that this being tormenting Sela was an adult. For all he knew it could have powers they had no knowledge of. 

He needed to ask Sela for more details but he had to go about it carefully. As Tori had said they didn't know what shape she would be in when she woke. Sans hoped against all hope that she would be able to talk about it. Regardless, it could take more time than he wanted. He did search up on how abuse and rape victims acted and it filled him instantly with renewed anger and helplessness. If Sela would bottle up there was little he could do, even if he wanted to. 

Sans rubbed his sockets tiredly, a spark of desperation engulfing his soul for a moment. He wished all this would be something he could fight physically. That would have been something he was able to do with ease. Faced with an opponent that was hiding in shadows was not optimal in any sense.  
He really needed to stay determined.

His mind drifted back to the message on Sela's bedroom wall. There was something here that did not entirely add up, that made his mind backpedal to the fact that he and Alphys both could read it. It made little sense, the feeling that there was something slipping his mind strong. Whoever had written that message knew he would understand it, which in turn indicated it was familiar with him. No matter how much he tried to root around his mind for any clue, he could not do it. It really was infuriating to have the sense he was missing a piece of a puzzle but possess no knowledge which piece it was.

 

Sela's mind was confused as she started to come to. She felt heavy, every inch of her being aching and sore. She didn't want to feel this, she didn't want to wake up. She could feel someone holding her hand and she desperately wanted to move the invading touch off her skin, not really understanding why. The simple touch filled her heart with fear she could not comprehend.

Slowly, very slowly she started to remember that something had happened. Something.. horrible. Her whole heart constricted with pain as memories started to trickle into her like vile poison. A flash of purple behind her eyelids made her mind recoil with terror. Sela could recall his eyes, boring into her like knives, slashing her raw. That ripped her mind open, she felt everything flood right back in and she wailed in the crossfire of feelings warring through her. 

Anger, confusion, betreyal, fear and shame. They bloomed in her heart with vengeance that burned with their force. Sela curled into a fetal position, despite the ache in her gut and lower region and the sharp pain in her hand. She felt the hand carefully touching her shoulder but she recoiled from it, sobbing softly. She didn't even recognize it first, but she slowly started to hear Papyrus speaking to her in a soothing tone that was hard to imagine was his.

”It's alright human Sela, you are safe now. Nothing can get to you while I, the great Papyrus is watching over you.”

She couldn't really answer anything to his soft words. 

”She awake?” Sela heard Sans coming to the room and she instantly wished she could just disappear, be swallowed by the earth. She was certain it had been the older skeleton that had found her and imagining in what condition made her stomach churn unpleasantly. 

Sans had moved to Papyrus' place and Sela was grateful he didn't try to touch her. 

”Sela?” He sounded so cautious she wanted to scream. Instead a trickle of tears escaped under her lids, rolling down her cheeks. The skeleton sighed, sitting down. Sela heard the door close, Papyrus must have left the room.

”I'm not gonna ask how ya feelin'.. that would be stupid. Is there anythin' ya need? Water? Painkillers?” His voice was a low whisper, filled with emotion and Sela felt the tightness around her throath easing just a little bit. She didn't know what it was in him, but he had somekind of aura that always seemed to affect her in some way. She didn't trust her voice just yet tho and just nodded feebly, trying to calm her tears.

”Okay, gonna get those, just a moment. I won't be far away, you're safe.” She could hear him getting up and shuffling to the door. Sela heard the water turning on and soft words she could not make out, spoken between the brothers. Soon Sans returned with a glass, sitting on the chair he had moved next to the bed.

”Here.”

Sela cracked her eyes open, wiping them with her good hand. The room was softly lit with a small lamp and Sans was offering her a glass of water, on his other palm were two pills. She couldn't look him in the face, taking the aforementioned items. She threw the pills in her mouth, swallowing them with the water that she drank ravenously. It did very little to wash away the lingering taste on her tongue and she almost retched when she remembered the thing _kissing_ her. She fought the sensation, wanting to keep the painkillers down.

”Do you want to talk about ..it?” 

Sela shook her head slowly. She couldn't, not right now at least.

”Okay. Can I bandage your hand? Tori did her best but it's still wounded.”

So Toriel had been here at some point too. Sela could feel heat rising to her face, her distressed stare shooting to the skeletons face instantly. The eyelights in his sockets were barely there, so dim in worry that it ached her heart. Sela could also feel her soul wither as there was something in his face and eyes that reminded her of the thing that had attacked her, his image flashing like a lightning across her mind. She averted her eyes from him, shivering.

If Sans noticed her latter reaction, he didn't comment on it.

”I had to get her.. you were in pretty bad shape when I found ya.” 

Just as Sela had suspected. She couldn't decide if it would've been better if she had woken by herself in the kitchen or be found by him. She realized she was still soiled by god knew what and felt a wave of utter disgust rolling inside her.

”I.. I need a bath.” Her voice was quivering and hoarse and she hardly could recognize it.

”I'll bring you a towel.” 

The skeleton left her for a moment, bringing back a large, blue towel, leaving it by her side.

”Uhh.. if ya need any help just call me, a'right?”

”Okay.”

Sans lef the room and Sela slowly shifted from under the blanket into a sitting position on the bed. God, everything hurt like hell. In confusion she wondered how she was this badly off, if Toriel had used her healing magic on her. 

She inspected herself gingerly, her emotions flaring in every possible direction. Some of the nicks and scrapes on her had healed to a point that they were only reddish marks, her bruises faint, but her hand was still quite bad. With a shudder she remembered the horrible crunching of her bones when the beast had bit her, at least the worst of it had been healed, leaving only the gashes on her flesh present. The wounds looked angry and inflamed. As she poked around her hand a trickle of blood flowed from one of the deeper cuts. 

Her legs felt sticky and disgusting and with a gag she reached her hand to her sex. She dared to take a peak and felt the color drain from her face. She was bruised and oily, purplish substance was smeared on her skin and it had oozed down her thighs to her legs. Sela knew what it was and it made her whole stomach turn and yet again she had to keep from throwing up. 

Sela wrapped herself in the towel, her mind deadset on getting cleaned up. She clumsily pushed herself up, only to fall on her knees. A broken sob escaped her mouth. She had no strenght in her legs at all, the pains of her body flaring up to her movements.

Sans peaked his head from the door, he got to her in a instant and Sela had to steel herself for his touch, no matter how considerate it was. She just took his hand, letting him help her up and walk her to the bathroom where he had drawn her a bath. Sela sank to the warm water with a sigh, minding her other hand. 

She couldn't help the desperate feeling that no amount of soap or scrubbing would rid her of this dirt that had seeped to her, no matter how hard she tried. Only her exhaustion stopped her from spending a long time cleaning herself, all she wanted to do was to sleep. To get away from this.. awareness. From this abysmal feeling of selfhatred and regret. She didn't want any of this, she had not asked any of this and she did not want to even linger on these thoughts. 

Sans must have waited behind the door because he offered his help yet again, after she had dried herself. Wordlessly he cleaned her hand, Sela biting down on her teeth to keep from complaining. He was tender with his care, smearing antiseptic cream on the skin before wrapping the whole mess cautiously. 

As fast as he helped her back to the bed she was out like a light in mere minutes.  
Sans sat in the end of the bed, leaning his backbones to the wall with a sigh. Sela looked so incredibly tired, pale, small and haunted and he wished he could have protected her better. There was a fierce fire burning in his soul to keep this human from any harm, a feeling he could not explain or understand fully.


	16. Heatstroke (R)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyy some sexual content because I have no selfcontrol. ;_;
> 
> [His evil face, smooch it](http://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/image/143171558495)

 

Sela knew she was dreaming, still it didn't make the whole situation feel any less real. In her dream she was laying on her own bed, naked and shivering. She was pinned under the nightmarish monster that had savaged her and he was leering at her with a pulsing glint in his eyes.

She was staring up at him, but for whatever reason there was no fear in her dream, only a tentavive pressure around her chest, constricting like a knot pulled taut slowly. The harder the pressure became, she felt a warm feeling traveling in her very veins all around her body, lower and deeper, untill it was a burning in her center. With the certain progression the shine in his eyes became brighter and brighter, untill the light was the only thing she could see.

When the burn was too much for her to handle she was begging him. Begging him to .. she didn't know what. Anything. The weight on her heart sank like a stone in water, pulling her further in deep. Then she could feel his touch, his hands traveling over her, soothing away the invasive sensation that was afflicting her. 

There was no room in her mind for any coherent thought, even when in passing she was astonished why she was not fighting or screaming. She hated him, she hated him so much, but it was like it didn't matter at all. All she could think and feel were his hands, caressing her, whisking her away like a tide. 

Sela closed her eyes, colors wavering behind her lids, breath stuck in her throath. Through her bliss she could hear his low purr twining into her very being, easing her further into him. It felt like falling into him. Like he was something she desperately needed. She was moaning and panting lewdly, praising him.

Too slowly she started to perceive what was happening and panic started to well up in her mind, her sanity waking up from the feverish need ravishing her senses. Her eyes shot open, he was licking up her skin, eyes mocking, knowing she was in her full wits. Sela couldn't get a hold on her body, it was responding to him in every way possible and she felt utterly helpless. No! She needed to wake up, now!

His laughter was like a baritone hum, tickling against Sela's flesh. The nightmare pushed into her, her mind reeling with disgust and horror but her body felt only intense pleasure. Her breath was quickening, the edge closing in with alarming speed and she could do nothing but tip over as he pushed her over with a demented smile stretching his white face. 

Sela screamed, falling, falling deeper..

 

Sans woke to her shifting on the bed. His sockets snapped open with alarm. Was she having a nightmare? She was moaning in her sleep, her head whipping restlessly from left to right, sweat glistening on her brow. For some reason it made him incredibly nervous, hearing those sounds she was making.

He slowly reached for her, his hand trembling. He should wake her up. She was getting louder, gasping in.. pain? Sans took hold of her arms, trying to shake her cautiously but she wasn't waking up. Her eyes were moving franticly under her eyelids. Her whole body was convulsing lightly, her back arching and Sans could see her chest heaving, her soft curves pulling the blanket tight around her body. He swallowed.

”Sela? Sela! Wake up!” He was whispering, his voice strained.

Finally her eyes opened, but the look in them was desperate and forlorn. She was panting, face flushed red.

”Sans..” Sela pleaded. She didn't even know what she was asking for. Her whole body was still pulsating in the afterglow and with horror she found she was still incredibly worked-up, hungry for touch, for any kind of touch. Sans looked like a deer in headlights, surprised and confused. His bony hands around her arms tightened and she moaned, heat spreading through her like wildfire. What the hell was going on?

”Please!” Her whole face contorted in painful expression. ”I.. ahh!” A visible shiver wracked through her and Sans fell beside her, trying to hold her tenderly like he was trying to comfort her. Sans could feel his fear churning inside him, because god, her scent was permiating the whole room, pulling him in like a whirlpool. It was incredibly intoxicating and he was trembling with effort trying to reign in his own inevitable arousal. Shit, what the hell he should not be feeling this!  
Sela was making noices that were driving him mad with the aroma of her own arousal overpowering his senses. 

”Oh god..” Sans bit down his teeth, a slow but unavoidable heat blooming inside his bones. It felt just like accidentally coming in contact with a monster who was entering their heat. Did humans get heats? No, he had never read anything of the like. His mind was muddled, badly affected by her energy that was seeping into him with force. 

He shouldn't, he really shouldn't. This was not right. He had to keep clear head. This was beyond fucked up. Her body squirmed deliciously against his bones and her lips were slightly apart, eyes unfocused, skin burning with internal fever rivaling a pyre. His hand brushed past her breasts, oh fuck, he could feel her nipples hard under the blanket. Sela gasped, trembling.

”Please.. Sansss.. I can't.. ” Her voice was just a whisper, her hands were clutching his hoodie in desperation. 

”Shit, kid, you were just.. I can't just..” His phalanges were already feeling her curves through the fabric separating them, like they had a mind of their own. Sela's body answered to him instantly, pushing deliciously against him. She was almost crying, her quick, shallow breaths washing over his neck in a way that made him loose his control. His tongue materialized immediately, he pulled her into a heated kiss, pushing between her lips as she met him demandingly.

Sans could feel himself ignite with the intimate contact, his cock forming in his shorts, his own arousal crashing in him with vengeance. She was so soft so.. No this couldn't be happening.. it was happening and there was jackshit he could do about it. He was rutting against her and she was moaning into his tongue and his eye was flaming out of his head with a high flame licking his skull.  
She was like gasoline on his bones. 

Sela's hands were snaking inside his shirt, rubbing into his bones and he groaned, braking the passionate kiss, trailing his teeth to her neck, licking her sweatcoated skin, lapping up her taste and shit if she didn't taste incredible. Her body was going stiff, shaking as she entered an orgasm just from this small contact and he could feel his cock throbbing, every intelligent thought leaving his mind. 

His hand trailed from her back, pulling the blanket aside, heading for her mound. Sela's legs spread for him without any restraint, inviting him in. He growled as her scent became more defined and he slid his phalanges to her slit, christ she was drenched. She was pushing against his hand wantonly, demanding more and he complied, sliding a single digit into her as she gripped into him like vice, her walls fluttering against his finger. Her eyes were squeezed shut, a high cry muffled by his hoodie that she had bit into at some point. Fuck she was coming already again? 

Sans couldn't help biting into her shoulder just to keep himself from not just flipping her over and fucking her roughly into the mattress, he could not do that, absolutely not, but oh he wanted to. So badly. Instead he pushed another phalange in, dragging them up to her clit, pushing back along her slit to her pussy, making her wail in pleasure against him. He had to get her out of this before he lost control of himself completely. 

He was sorry he wasn't able to stop himself as his sharp canines sliced through her delicate skin, even her blood tasted devine. He was lapping it with his tongue like nectar and that seemed to send her into another high, he could feel her tensing and her pussy pulsating around his fingers. And fuck if it didn't almost make him come undone himself. 

As she was finally coming down and her strong scent was ebbing out of the intoxicating levels that had enthralled Sans into this he could hear her sobbing softly into his shirt, all her mucsles relaxing little by little.

”'m sorry.. 'm so sorry.. 'm so sorry..” 

”Shh.. 's okay, you're okay, everything's okay..” He eased his fingers from her and she shuddered, a small moan trailing from her lips. He draped her back to the blanket, holding her close. He didn't really want to let go, even if he knew he probably should. But as Sela grabbed into him like she was wordlessly begging him to hold her he relaxed. Sela clearly needed this, for whatever reason any of this had happened making her need him. 

He continued to comfort her, stroking his fingers through her hair. Sans willed his own arousal away, feeling shameful about it in the first place. This whole episode made no sense. He had never heard of a human in heat, or any heat lasting such a little while. The gears in his mind were turning with concern as he was trying to figure out what was going on.

 

Sela was so confused. She felt she didn't have any more tears left in her but miraculously they still kept flowing. Her whole body was still pulsing slightly, coming down from the high she had been on. Why was this happening? She was beyond mortified that Sans was still holding her and a part of her wanted to flee from the house, while the other part was wholly comforted by his deep voice shushing her and his hands caressing her hair. 

She was now disturbingly aware of the alien energy coursing through her and it made her feel uneasy, like she wasn't completely herself. Her stomach turned when she wondered what Sans must have been thinking. Did he hate her? Despise her? Would he be holding her like this if he did? Maybe it was just somekind of twisted sense of responsibility behind it all. She should just pick herself up and go hide from the whole world. Probably burrow somewhere into the forest behind her house. Maybe that would even deter the creature hounding her. It felt like a pretty tempting option. 

Finally the tears ran dry and she sighed, last of the trembles leaving her exhausted. Sans didn't stop petting her head, but he did fall silent. He seemed to be gathering courage to say something. Sela's heart lurched painfully in her chest when he finally drew breath to speak.

”Are ya better now?” There was no accusation or hatred in his voice at all, which astonished Sela to no end. She would have not faulted him if he would've thrown her out. He just sounded tentative and maybe a bit confused.

”I.. I think so. Sans.. I'm really sorry.. I..”

”Sela, it should be me asking ya for forgiveness, not the other way 'round.” His tone was stern and Sela dared to look to his eyes. His expression was solemn, his eyelights mere pinpricks, searching her face cautiously.

”I should've controlled m'self better an' it was completely shit thing for me to do..” His face fell.

”Sans, no.” 

”Listen kid, I don't suppose humans go into heats, no?” Sans saw the confused look on her face and smiled wryly. ”Yeah, thought so. It's somethin' monsters do so I should be familiar with it an' all that it entails. So I should have control over m'self over stuff like that.”

”Heat? What do you mean? Was that what it was?”

”Ahh.. well. Not exactly. Not ever seen a heat that short an' umm. Humans don't go into heat.”

Sela mulled over what he said. She had never had an episode like that and it made her head spin with trepidation. She remembered the horrible dream about him she had prior waking up to her bout of heat, as Sans seemed to think. She had a forboding feeling that the creature had something to do with it. 

She didn't want to tell him about it, the hurt and horror still way too fresh in her mind and even in her body. Besides, what did it tell about her that she saw a fucking wet dream about her rapist? It was so messed up she didn't want to poke the issue even with a ten yard stick. She had no idea why her body that usually listened to her head pretty well had now thrown all common sense into the wind and started to act like a completely separate being. Well okay, maybe it was a bit of a stretch to say she had control over herself, the way she couldn't fight off depression or anxiety, but this was on a whole new level of 'fuck no'. 

It was pretty funny that Sans seemed to be fighting with his control too and she couldn't help a airy, albeit a bit hysterical giggle escaping her lips.

”What's so funny?” 

”I.. just seems we both are battling over the control of ourselves. It's not really funny.” Sela's snickering was infectious, she could feel his bones rattling a bit, his sockets crinkling in mirth. ”I just wonder.. who does have the control..” She trailed off, her eyes growing more serious. 

”Now there's a good fucking question if I ever heard one.”

 

It seemed that the claim on her was working rather well, to his surprise. The human didn't seem that well equipped to deal with his inserted compulsion. He smiled to himself, turning his eyes on the quivering form crouched infront of him. The older man was sobbing and begging and it made his soul burn with intense disgust. What a worm, not even man enough to face his sins with dignity. Well, no matter.

He extended his hand, almost lazily and grabbed the sack of flesh from his throath, rising him from the ground with ease that made the human look light like a child.

”Oh God, please! This was not .. this was not what.. spare me, have mercy!” The man wailed and the monsters face contorted into a hateful sneer.

_**”Mercy? You really have the audacity to ask for mercy? What a laughable notion, from the likes of you no less.”**_ His large digits curling tighter around the scrawny neck of the male. He might have been old and frail, but there was nothing frail in his past.

_**”The way you all eagerly signed your souls for power makes my mouth sour from the mere sight of you wretched creatures. Time has come to pay those dues and live on.. inside me.”**_ He opened his maw to terrifying size, a low growl thundering forth from his chest, the markings on his hide glowing furiously. _**”You should be grateful for this leniency in your behalf..”**_

As the man screamed in horror he bit down to his neck, ripping out a huge portion of his flesh, blood spraying on his white face. His eyes shined with the crimson liquid seeping into him, a nebulous cloud of dark energy flowing up from the wound. He started to inhale, the cloud moving towards his mouth, past his sharp teeth and into his throath. Finally a broken and miserable excuse for a soul drifted out of the old man, as the life left his eyes, dulling them milky and blind. 

His markings burst into life, painting the whole scene to shades of purple and red, the soul was trembling before him, like it wanted to flee but couldn't. With a huff he caged the barely heart-shaped essence between his clawed fingers, bringing it towards him, the center of his chest. As he closed his eyes, tendrils of his magic latched on to the soul, sucking it dry untill was nothing more than a husk, empty case where a seed of life had once recided. 

With a flick of his finger the casing evaporated, leaving nothing behind. He drew in a breath. His magic was merging the new energy into him, braking it apart. He could feel his level rising, his violence hardening his soul with darknes that he had become to enjoy. Only three left to deal with.

He could sense them in the distance, as they could probably feel him closing in, unable to protect themselves in any way. Their fear was like a trail of blood, easy to follow, easy to sniff out. Once he would have succesfully absorbed the last remnants he would once again have a stable form and there would be hardly anything to falter him. Void be damned, it could keep his missing pieces, he could patch himself this way effectively enough.

 

When Sela drifted back to sleep Sans left her for a bit to collect himself. Papyrus was luckily completely ignorant of the episode they had been through. He had spent the time with Undyne and had left few messages for him on his phone. So had Alphys, he had even missed few calls from her, she must have been calling about the meeting regarding studying Sela's soul. Sans should really call her and explain what had happened and that those studies would have to be put on hold for the moment.

He couldn't do it right away, christ he needed a moment. 

Sans wanted to smack himself. He had apologized and Sela had at least seemed to forgive him but hell if he didn't still think he was dangerously careless towards her. She had just been through something absolutely terrible and here he was just exploiting her in a way. He lurched to the kitchen, head filled with selfhatred that threatened to spill over his cranium. Some black coffee would hopefully clear his head. 

He did think there was even more pressing reason to take a look at her soulbarrier now that she was marked, as Tori put it, but he would have to let her recuperate first. Who knew what they would find, or if she even wanted to do that. 

Coffee dripping in the pot he leaned to the counter, rubbing his face. He would talk to her when she woke up next time. In the meanwhile he would talk to Alphys. He should also get some clothes for Sela from her house, he would not let her go there. Maybe he could even take Alphys with him and do some readings with a portable soulenergy reader he knew she had. They had used it in Underground few times to measure energies in certain places, long time ago. Weird thing was, he had no memory of why they had been researching those. Ah hell, it was a long time ago, it probably didn't matter. 

Sans picked up his phone when he had poured his coffee. It was stronger than what he usually did, so strong that it probably would have melted the spoon, had he used one. He searched the scientists number and called her.

_”Sans! I tried t..to call you e..earlier.”_ He could hear the bustle of people in the backround, she was still at work.

”Yeah, sorry.. was busy. Listen, somethin' came up last night.”

_”H..how so?”_

”Sela was attacked again. It's bad.” He took a sip of the liquid, ughh.. it was bordering poison.

_”W..what?! I th..thought she w..was there for the n..night?”_

”She was. Gues what ever this thing is kinda lured her into her house. Found her there. She uhh.. she was violated.” It was eloquently put for what had happened but he couldn't say the other word. It just felt wrong to say it. The line stayed silent for quite a long moment. 

”I got Tori and she tried healin' her, but there was only so much she could do.”

_”What do you mean?”_ She squeked, her voice so tiny and horrified he could feel it through the line in his soul. He absolutely hated that he had to be the one to bring bad news. He hated the whole situation.

”Tori said that she's marked.. with magic that is more potent than hers.”

_”I...is t..that po..possible?”_

”Seems like it is. This is some serious shit, Alphys.”

_”I'll be t..there in fifteen m..minutes.”_

Sans hummed and she closed the call. He went to his room, taking a quick peek at Sela, she was still sleeping safely in the bed. He needed to print out some of the information he had found online, go over it with Alphys and determine if any of it was relevant to this situation. If there was something as dark as demons at work they needed to be prepared for that, if that was even possible. At least the information regarding those kind of entities suggested there was. If they would get a pick on the energy in Sela's house, that would go a long way in finding out about that. 

He felt a little better about having some kind of plan on how to proceed, even when it wasn't that much, it was better than nothing.


	17. Questions Arise

 

”You still got that soulenergy reader.” It wasn't a question and Alphys just nodded.  
She had been there in ten minutes instead of fifteen and she had taken a quick peek of Sela sleeping in the guest bedroom before Sans showed her the information he had gathered.

”It s..should be in m..my study.” 

”I WILL KEEP EYE ON SELA, DON'T WORRY BROTHER.” Papyrus had also returned and Undyne was fuming, her eye burning with a restrained anger as Sans had told what had happened. Both women were understandably more or less wordless and it didn't surprise Sans one bit. What Sela had gone through was horrible enough to leave anyone in the same condition.

”Okay, we'll get the equipment and see if there's anything to find out.” 

They left to get the machine and finally Undyne burst into action. 

”This is complete shit, what this is.” Her voice was quivering with emotion. Alphys was nodding fervently, her clawed hand in Undynes hand and the fishmonster was clearly squeezing it rather hard. 

”You're tellin' me.” Sans' eyelights dimmed. 

”When we find that sack of shit that did this to her I'm gonna spear his ass into another frickin' dimension!” 

Sans couldn't agree more, his magic itching to even the thought of being able to get a hold of the thing. He really hoped it was something he could hurt, badly. He didn't relish on the idea of violence but when it was called for, damn, he was all up for that as much as Undyne. 

It didn't take long for Alphys to retrieve the small, rectangular machine and they made their way for Sela's house. In the dimming light of the evening it looked so ordinary that it was hard to believe that there was something wrong with the place. When they opened the door, it wasn't so implausible anymore. The same nasty energy was still staining the insides of the house as before.

Undyne looked ready to summon a spear into her hand at any second as she stalked inside, her eye scanning over the space.

Alphys clicked on the machine and was pointing it all around them, moving slowly from the livingroom to kitchen. The interface of the soulenergy reader lighted up and undulated between yellow and red lights, indicating there indeed were lots of remnants of soulenergy still present. 

”These n..numbers are j..just i..insane, Sans! L..look here.” Alphys pointed the box into the wall separating the livingroom space from the foyer and the interface lighted up like a christmastree, red light flickering over the scale portrayed on the machine. 

”The n..normal soulenergy in a..anyones house i..is about from 35 to 70 a..and here i..its over the s..scale.” Alphys was sweating nervously, a shiver running through her spine. ”A..and the s..scale only goes t..to 160.”

”What does that even mean?” Undyne was eyeing the gadget incredulously.

”It means it's more than in boss monsters livingspace where they spend most of the time. It's.. alot.” Sans was just as surprised about the readings as Alphys. He didn't remember the machine ever pinging into that kind of hights as here. It didn't bode well. It also explained why Toriel wasn't able to heal Sela properly – this energy was without a doubt stronger than hers. 

”Well, at least it has a soul.” Undyne quipped but it didn't make Sans feel any better. Even Chara had had a soul, in fact, the only thing he had ever seen without a soul was Flowey. 

”Flip on the energytype detection.”

The machine had another use as well as reading soulenergies. It could also determine if the energy lingering was either monster or human energy. Alphys nodded and fiddled with the device, turning on the said function. The box let out few beeps, another indicator shivering as it was analyzing the readings. It only shuddered few times, then stopped in the middle, not swaying to either monster, or human. 

”T..that's weird..” Alphys' brow scrunched together as she was staring at the box in puzzlement. 

”Damn..” Sans wasn't exactly surprised but he wasn't happy about the fact that the device was showing what he had been fearing. ”Well at least we know now what it's not.” 

”I m..must say this i..is highly out of m..my expertice.” Alphys turned off the machine and faced Sans. ”We s..should take a b..better look of those t..things you found in t..the i..internet.” 

”Seems so.. I'll get her some clothes and we can get outta here.”

Undyne stayed downstairs with Alphys as Sans went upstairs to grab few items for her. The occasional murmur of the others voices made him feel a bit better, when he was perusing her closet. It would have been way too silent for his liking otherwise. He worked as fast as he could and was back down in few minutes. Undyne looked ready to book it and they stepped out, with a collective sigh of relief.

”It really does feel pretty horrible in there.” 

”Sans.. has s..she said a..anything about t..the.. attacker?” Alphys asked him when they arrived at his porch, the scientist had been deep in thought from the moment they had left Sela's house. Sans stopped and turned to look at her. 

”Uhh.. no. I didn't want to bother her by asking.” It was stupid and he wanted to smack himself upside the skull once again. It was probable she had seen the thing and that was one painfully obvious piece of the puzzle he had not even thought off. Boy, did he feel absolutely ridicilous now. 

”I don't blame ya, numbskull, but we better ask her when she gets up.”

”Lets h..hope she r..remembers s..something. I wouldn't b..be s..surprised if the t..trauma was t..too much.” Alphys was right, of course, but Sans knew there had to be something she would be able to tell about the whole thing. He just hoped she would talk. 

”She actually might be more comfortable talking to you about that, Alph. If you don't mind.” 

”I t..think that's a g..good idea.”

 

They spent the evening reading on demons and similar creatures they could find and talking about possibilities between themselves. Papyrus was cooking dinner as per usual and the time passed in relative peace. There was so much knowledge around but most of it seemed far fetched and superstitious that it was more frustrating than helpful. It was hard to come to any conclusions without any further knowledge Sela might have been able to provide and no one wanted to wake her, when she was resting so peacefully. 

Before long only Sans was up, Alphys had fallen asleep ontop of Undyne on the couch and Papyrus was nodding off in Sela's room, still determined to watch over her when they were busy. A nap did sound pretty damn tempting to Sans but his mind was on overdrive that left him unable to doze off.

Instead he relieved his brother from guard duty to send him to sleep and took his place to watch over the womans sleep. Sela's face was mushed against the pillow and her expression was relaxed, it was reassuring to see she was able to sleep in such peace. He felt an urge to caress her soft hair but he restrained himself. He should keep his hands to himself. 

Sans didn't know what he felt for her, but it was becoming clear it was more than just a simple friendship that was warming his bones. He could feel a slight blush creeping on his face when he reminisced what had transpired earlier in the day. He felt stupid about wondering if she had any feelings for him but that didn't stop his soul having that special, secret spark even to the possibility. Maybe with time.. if he stayed patient. 

Usually he was pretty decent with just waiting and not rushing into things head first, but there was just something about this new life topside that seemed to turn his gears into action, spewing out the dust and rust that had covered his soul for so long. He found himself taken by surprise by the feelings and thoughts he was having. Sela's warm, soft hands on her bones.. he could not deny that it had felt so good. Too good in fact. 

Sela sighed in her sleep, in sync with his tentative crawing and he blushed even deeper blue. Was he really this hungry for closeness, for any connection that he was sporting less than proper thoughts about her? He should be ashamed. Sans rested his skull into his hands with a silent groan. He sure knew how to be a scumbag sometimes, didn't he? 

Then something happened. He could feel something warm brush against his metacarpals, snaking around them and carefully pulling his hand away from his face. He looked at Sela, who was watching him tiredly, her eyes still sleepy and her hand weakly taking hold of his bones.

”You look tired.” Her voice wasn't more than a breathy whisper. ”You should get some sleep.”

”Heh, sure kid, I'll go sleep in a bit.”

”I don't want to be alone.”

”Okay.”

”Can you sleep next to me?”

”Okay.”

She pulled his arm a little bit, scooting farther on the bed. Sans swallowed and laid stiffly on the bed, careful not to take too much space from her. Sela snuggled up to him, her hand glued to his and seemed to drift off back to sleep. Sans felt the ache in his soul, with a miniscule hope blooming forth and despite his mind going thousand miles a second Sela's calm breathing lulled him into sleep before long.

 

He could feel his soul close to hers, and with a scoff he tapped into her energies. She seemed to take comfort in the skeletons closeness, feeling safe. Hmph. The creature regarded her frivolous sense of safety with wry humor. His own emotions fluctuated between possessive anger and diabolical glee. It had been truly a delightful coinsidence that the human woman was getting close with the skeleton. There was great potential to hurt him through her and that made his soul brim with amusement. 

Oh he could have not planned it better himself. If he had the opportunity to bring pain for him emotionally he would gladly accept it, even revel in it. He certainly had not forgotten how the pitiful monster had tried his best to stop him and his endeavours, even succeeding eventually. 

But the ball was in his court now and he planned to fully take advantage of it. He knew that Sans would find out eventually his existence but it didn't worry him in the least. In fact, he wanted him to connect the dots and see the picture laid out before him. There wasn't anything Sans could do now that he had found a way out of his prison, even finding a way to increase his power. In a way he had to thank the skeleton, for if it wasn't for his actions in the past, he would have never been scattered into the void. 

Sans might regard void as a empty place, a suitable hell for someone like him, but it wasn't the whole truth. True, the void was worthy of its name, but it had not been as void of loopholes as Sans might have thought. With seemingly endless amount of time to spend watching the world go by he had learned quite a few things. Only thing that had held him more effectively captive had been the barrier that had closed monsters in Underground. 

In human years it had taken nearly 30 years of patience and work to finally push himself out to this point. And it would have not been possible without these wriggling, pathetic human souls he had now consumed. He had had to be careful when he had found the most improbable opening for someone like him to use, taking only the slightest amounts of soulenergy from the humans that had been responsible for the possibility. He had had to use his best abilities to obfuscate and entice, weave a web where the humans had slowly slid into. Humans.. and their hunger for power.. it truly was a marvelous thing. 

He regarded the mangled corpses he had left behind with disdain, opening a doorway to the void to port himself back to the place he had once called home. It was nothing more than a place now, although conveniently aside from any interference. Not many had ever even been in here and no one had disturbed the rooms, heavy blanket of dust covering everything in sight. He summoned an array of floting hands to clean up the years of neglect as he started to inspect his old machinery for any damages. 

He still needed to do some tests and some research on how to get rid of the soulbarrier the woman had. He was confident there was a way and that he would surely find it. In the meantime he would take enjoyment in the little things he had not been able to do while he had been trapped to the void.

 

Undyne was the first to wake up in the next morning. Alphys was still dosing off on her and she carefully shifted her on the couch, planting a tender kiss on the monsters head. She snuck to the guest bedrooms door and peeked in. She really had to hold off from cooing out loud to the sight – Sans was asleep, Sela holding onto him and there was even some drool running from the skeletons mouth. 

”That's just too fucking precious.” She snickered to herself and headed to the kitchen to brew some coffee. 

Undyne wasn't sure what was going on between those two but it seemed obvious there was something happening. She knew Alphys already shipped them with zeal but she had to admit to herself she wasn't as easily swayed. Undyne did hope Sela would be as good as she seemed to be, for a human.. but she wasn't stupid. She was hoping that Sans didn't loose the grasp of the situation, which was not exactly the best for romance.

She hoped it would work out. She had known Sans as long as Papyrus and she wished only the best for the both of them. Undyne also wasn't blind to Sans' obvious problems he incessantly tried to hide from everyone. She could see where he was coming from, not wanting to cause anyone to worry for him but he was pretty damn strongheaded in his denial. Everyone knew he had problems and still he tried to hide behind his smile. 

For Undyne it was pretty clear he was starving for affection. She simply didn't know Sela well enough to be able to tell if she was that way too but her problems were as plain as Sans'. But she would not be the one to deny two grown-ass people, damn it. She scoffed to herself, pouring a cup of the bitter liquid and eyeing her girlfriend blissfully asleep on the couch. Hell, some would have thought them to be the most unlikely couple ever and still, here they were, together and happy as clams. Maybe she was being too critical. 

Her thoughts drifted back to the human woman. A shudder ran through her scaled skin when she thought about what had happened to her. Undyne didn't know all the nasty details but she didn't need to. As a woman the thought about someone violating another being in that way made her furious. It was next to unheard in monster society but even after under half a year topside had made her aware how cruel humans could be. After all, humans filled their news with horrible things all the time. She had always thought humans were terrible and after Frisk she had dared to hope that maybe all people weren't as horrible as she had been taught. 

Undyne had rather mixed emotions about humans on the whole, these days. She had met good people, indifferent people and some pretty damn scummy ones. Every time she went to the town there were all those three kinds of people around and sometimes it made her wonder why humans could be that different from each others while looking so similar compared to monsters. It was confusing to say the least. 

She couldn't deny that she was happy about the fact that she herself was one tough cookie. She was able to defend herself without a problem and that made her confident enough to venture out there alone. Many other monsters didn't have her backround and had to keep in groups or ask for the help of the human soldiers left to the Station, as Asgore had named the former rangerstation. Thinking about the king brought a small smile on her lips, Asgore had always been ridicilously terrible with names. He had even named the road his house was on as Kings Road. 

With a shake of her head she went to get Papyrus up. It was time to meet the morning with a proper fighting spirit and start with a good old jog! There was nothing finer than being able to run on the old deer tracks that snaked through the mountainsides forests, breathing in the freedom and fresh air. She knew that the rest of the house would be up by the time they would get back, and then it would be time to wrangle the deeper issues at hand.

 

Sela woke up to the dull ache all around her body. She could tell she had slept a long time and this time at least without anything weird happening. She turned slightly, her cheek brushing to something hard and warm. Her eyes shot open, oh yeah.. that had happened. She could feel the blush on her face as she took a cautious peek upwards to the skeleton sleeping next to her.

He was still asleep, his expressive face lax and his hand laying over her back. It was odd to wake up next to someone, Sela mused. Such a long time spent effectively alone she was astonished she had managed to actually sleep with him so close. She wasn't sure if she should feel bad or not and she could not even begin to understand why she felt safe around him. 

Suddenly the words that the creature had said to her pushed forth from her mind. 

_**”What matters is that I claim you as mine, for that meddling, miserable skeleton to see.”** _

Sela shuddered and Sans grumbled in his sleep, his hand tightening around her back. 

He had meant him, Sela just knew it, who else could he mean. How did he know anything about Sans? And meddling? Her mind raced. A foreboding, dreadful feeling started to pool inside her heart at the realization. She slowly inched away from Sans to a sitting position, pulling her legs against her chest, staring at nothing particularly.

Did it mean that the creature knew Sans? An image flashed across her minds eye, the white, hard face of him, eyelights deep in his sockets. She looked at Sans, there were.. unmistakable similarities in his face. Sela reached her hand to him, gingerly touching his cheekbone, sliding her trembling hand across the surface. The skeleton hummed and opened his sockets to see her watching him, eyes wide and frowning. 

”Mornin'.” His voice was rough with sleep.

Sela didn't say anything, pulling back her hand and curling it protectively against her bent legs. 

”Somethin' on my face?”

”N..no..” She was shivering. How hadn't she noticed all this earlier? Sela could feel her heartrate pick up when Sans pushed himself up too, his expression changing from sleepy to confused as he noted her odd behaviour.

”Did I rattle your bones?” He made a feeble attempt at a smile but he could not fake it.

”He had eyes like yours..” Sela whispered, voice small and terrified. 

Sans looked like she had just smacked him across the face, completely crestfallen. His pinpricks faded into the darknes inside his skull, leaving the sockets devoid of any light. Sela felt something creeping on her back, he looked absolutely terrifying, even if she had seen that look before. 

”You better tell me everythin' you remember, kid. No fibula.” Even his voice had dipped lower, the timbre of it seeping into her skin and leaving her cold. 

Sela hugged her legs tighter, trying to shrink infront of the menacing sight. She didn't want to talk but she knew she had to. She had to tell him, because there was a connection and she needed to know what it was as much as Sans wanted to know.

”Okay.. but please, don't scare me like that anymore..” She pleaded, her hand pressing her eyes, she didn't want to see him like that, all dark and dreadful. Sela heard him letting out a sigh, like he had held his breath and she felt his warm, bony hand take her own hand. He tenderly pulled it away from her face. 

”Shit, 'm sorry. You just caught me off-guard. 'S not gonna happen again.” 

She opened her eyes and sighed in relief as he was looking like his normal self, albeit apologetic. 

”But I think we need to hear what you can remember. You don't have to talk to me, if it feels easier ya can talk to Alphys, yeah?”

Sela took a moment to think about it. She didn't know the lizardmonster as well as Sans, but she had to admit to herself that she was feeling a little flustered and alot confused about everything that had transpired between them. She didn't have a slightest clue where they were standing, or what even she herself was feeling. The whole situation was a big clusterfuck of crap gone out of hand. 

From what she knew, Alphys was a kind and careful person. Maybe it was a better idea to talk to her first, because the more she thought about it, more aware she became of the dread bubbling inside her. All she wanted to do was to clam up and just forget about everything, but that would not be happening any time soon.

”Yeah.. that sounds good.”


	18. Memory Unlocked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehhh. Mehh. Been feeling a little under the weather lately and clearly it's affecting my writing. Not quite sure if this chapter is up to par or not, but here it is anyway. Hopefully I'll feel better soon and get the next one written in few days.

 

Alphys closed the door when she got in.

Sela had put on some clothes Sans had brought her and she was incredibly grateful for those. She had started to really feel vulnerable about the fact she was pretty much naked under the covers.  
She thought Alphys looked about as nervous as she was feeling, the yellow lizardmonster was fidgeting with her claws, sitting on the chair next to the bed.

”So Sans a..asked me to talk to y..you.”

Sela nodded and took a breath. ”You don't have to if you don't want to, Alphys.” She wanted to give the monster an out, if she was feeling anxious about it.. God, she wanted to give herself an out too.

”No! I.. want to help, Sela.” Alphys took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. 

Sela could feel her eyes misting over. It was ridicilous how much such a small gesture meant, but it did. It was still so outlandish that these monsters that most people were probably afraid of, were so caring. She really didn't know how it was possible or how they managed it.

”How m..much do you remember?” Alphys started, when Sela stayed silent for a moment, gathering her frayed thoughts.

Sela's brow furrowed. Her heart picked up it's pace, even when she was so hard trying to keep herself in check. ”Everything.. I remember everything.”

It hurt so much to even admit that, like saying it out loud made it somehow become alive and happen all over again in that moment. The fear, the pain and all the shame. Sela wiped her eyes and tucked her arms around herself, in hope of keeping herself from falling apart from the seams. It did very little to help.

”He was there when I woke up.. I must have sleepwalked to my house, it felt like.. he was calling or something. Like he willed me to come there.”

Alphys' expression was emphatic, her eyes big and round as she told her what had happened.

”He said something peculiar. Like he knew Sans.” Sela's voice dipped, whispering, like it was something secret.

”Sela, what did he look like?” It was the first time Sela had heard Alphys not stutter at all. Her gaze at her was focused and serious.

”He.. he was tall. Impossibly tall, white, hard skin.. like bone. He only had eyes and mouth on his face, his eyes were somehow similar to Sans'. There were scars, two black lines. One travelling up his head from his eyesocket and one from his other socket down to his mouth..” Sela shiwered at the memory, the nightmares face clear in her minds eye. She didn't notice Alphys' eyes twitch.

Sela did finally notice when the monster groaned, cluthing her head in her claws like in pain.

”W..w...what?” Her voice was so small and horrified.

”Are you alright? Alphys?”

”That.. it.. that..” She sputtered. ”He i..i..is dead! Dr G..Gaster i..is d..d..dead!”  
”What?” Sela stood up, Alphys was trembling like a leaf. 

Alphys wasn't answering, it looked like she was thousand miles away, her eyes were brimming with tears, unfixed and her mouth was moving like she was trying to say something.

”SANS!!” She screamed at last and Sela flinched away, the skeleton appeared beside them in an instant.

”What the hell happened? Alphys? Sela?” His pinpricks flicked from Sela to the monster and he tried to pry Alphys' hands from her head. Sela backed away, shaking her head. She didn't understand at all.

”S..S...Sans.. ” Alphys wailed and now Undyne too was pushing to the room, seemingly furious, her fins shaking with worry when she saw her girlfriends state.

”What the fuck is going on in here?!”

”I don't know what happened! She.. she asked me if I remembered how that.. how he looked.. I told her and she..” Sela was crying, was it her fault? Had she done something?

Alphys whined and grabbed Sans' hands, her shaking affecting the skeleton and they could hear his bones rattling under his clothes.

”S..Sans.. we forgot! W..we f..forgot e..everything!” 

Sans looked completely baffled. Alphys gripped his hands tighter and whispered; ”..we f..forgot a..about Dr. Gaster..”

The whole room fell deathly silent. Sela couldn't breathe. Even Undynes face fell slack.

Sans stared at Alphys and then his eyelights were gone, his sockets devoid of all life. His whole frame went rigid, starting slowly to shake. His left eye burst to life with rage, the whole room basking in the blue color, fumes of the magical flame rising so high from his head it was crashing to the cealing. 

**”W h a t d i d y o u s a y.”**

His voice boomed through the house, making the whole building tremor like it was caught in a earthquake, Sela gasped and she noticed Papyrus in the doorway. The taller skeleton looked similarly distressed as his brother. There was a noticeable orange flame dancing in his eyesocket. Sela backed to the wall, thoroughly confused and afraid of the intense reaction.

Sans turned ever so slowly to her, the raging fire of his eye locking her in place.

”What did he look like.” His voice was back to normal but the tone in which he said this was nothing but normal. His voice was pained, subdued and full of regret, like he didn't really want to know what her assailant had looked like. In a way it was more dreadful than his booming, commanding voice.

”He.. he had scars on his face.. and holes through his hands..” Sela whispered. She wanted to turn her eyes away from his burning stare but she could not. Sans shuddered and the whole house seemed to shudder with him.  
His magic was seeping to the air, saturating all of them and Sela could feel the weight of it in her heart.

”He died.” Sans said with a small voice. 

Papyrus rushed to the room, throwing his arms around his older brother, hugging his suddenly listless body to himself. Sela could see faintly orange tears running down his face. 

”I don't understand..” Sela felt Sans' intense magic finally die down and she collapsed, sitting on the floor, her back still firmly planted to the wall. 

”Dr W.D Gaster w..was the f..former royal s...scientist. He di..disappeared.. w..we all f..forgot a..about him.” Alphys sounded very nervous and Undyne was holding her tightly in her arms.

”He made me and Pap. He didn't disappear. He died. He died because of a stupid experiment.. I.. I caused a malfunction in the machine he used and I saw him die. I saw him disintegrate. After that everything about him started to vanish like he did, picked apart by the void.” Sans' voice was tired. Papyrus was still silently crying, holding on to his brother.

”Why..” Sela couldn't ask it, she felt she already knew the answer. Why did Sans cause the malfunction? She still had to know.

”Gaster wasn't a good monster. He was old.. he had fought in the war and his LV had poisoned him with malice, even then.” 

”LV?”

”It stands for Level of Violence.. if you kill, you gain LV. Too much LV and it corrupts you irrevorably.” 

”What do you mean he made you two?” 

”I.. he made us. I'm not sure how, he never explained.” Sans didn't offer anything more. It clearly was a subject he didn't want to delve into, not now at least.

Sela had a hard time wrapping her mind around anything of this. 

”If he died.. how can he be here?”

”I don't know. Are you sure that's what attacked you?” 

”Yes.” She lowered her head to her hands. How could a monster that was supposed to be dead be hounding her and why? It made absolutely no sense in her mind. Was she targeted because of the brothers living next to her? She hated that she even thought of it, but she couldn't help it. What other reason would there be?

”I think I need a moment.” Sela got up, heading for the doorway. She had to get air, the room felt too small and suffocating, the walls too restricting. Sans didn't stop her as she walked past them.  
Sela went for the door, pausing for a moment to look at the waning light outside, a shiver running down her spine.

”I'll go see after her.” Undyne offered and Sans nodded, a defeated look in his eyes. What comfort could he offer her, now?

Sela stood in the yard, staring into the sky. The dying light of the day drew long shadows across the grass, everything was calm and silent. It was quite the opposite to her mind, which was swarming with thoughts and feelings in a whirlwind of confusion. She wished she could be somewhere else, anywhere else really. Even be anyone else.

Undyne came to stand next to her and they didn't exchange any words. She knew why the monster was there, Sans wanted to make sure she was alright and Undyne was giving her the space she desperately needed.

Sela turned and walked towards the forests edge, Undyne following close by. She wanted to feel the world around her, maybe then she wouldn't feel so detached. Sela tried to keep her breathing calm but it was becoming increasingly difficult with each step and finally she gave up, slumping under a tree and just letting it go. Tears flowed from her eyes unbidden. 

Undyne stayed nearby, leaning on a tree and minding her own business, letting Sela have her moment. She had taken her phone with her and was keeping tabs with Sans.

Sela was so swamped by her own thoughts she didn't even notice the woman anymore. 

W.D Gaster. At least she had a name now. It did little to ease her mind, she just had something tangible to direct her contempt at. She looked at the hand he had bitten, the wounds still there under the gauze. If that thing had been dead, how had it managed to come here and why now? There had to be some connection with all the monsters being freed from Underground. Sela was no scientist but she didn't think she was stupid either. 

It was beyond frustrating, that now that she had found out something about the creature, it made even less sense than before. Nothing made much sense anymore. Maybe she really should just.. leave. Would Gaster leave her alone then? She almost wanted to ask him, but she had no idea where the damn creature was or what he wanted. The way Sans had reacted told her he wouldn't know much either. Would Sans think it was her fault that the monster was here now? What had he done to Sans to make him want to kill him? That was what he had tried with making his experiment go south, had he not?

There were so many questions she had no way to answer that it was driving her nuts. Gaster had said he wanted to claim her for himself.. what did he want with her? If he wanted just to hurt Sans why did he need her for that? Could he not just.. go after him directly? Sela rubbed her face. She could have never even imagined in her worst nightmares that her life would have spun so effectively out of control. What did this all mean for her future, or was there even one? Would Gaster kill her?

This was not what she had envisioned her life would be when she had grown up. Where would she go and what would she do now? She didn't want to bring any harm to her new friends. 

Sela startled at the thought. She thought these monsters as her friends? When had that happened? She smiled bitterly to herself. Some friend was she, yet again, bringing only more problems and worries to everyones life. She really was a burden, wasn't she? She couldn't help but relive the times her father had told her as much. She was nothing but trouble, difficult to deal with.. a mistake. Sela had hated him for all those words that had burrowed under her skin and straight to her heart like barbed needles. They had molded her in a way she never had wanted to admit. 

Sela had always feared that he had been right all along. The fissure he had caused had grown and made her act in every way he described her in his weakest moments, cursing her out. Her anxiety flared out and she tried to pull herself as small as she could, as small as she felt she was. Her father had never really apologized for his words over her more difficult teenage years she sadly could remember, not even on his deathbed. Not that it mattered that much. Sela wasn't sure she could have forgiven him. 

Without really wanting to, her thoughts drifted back to the uncle she could not even remember. For some reason, with all these unwanted questions, they seemed to lure out all the other questions she ever had entertained in her mind. Had that faceless person in her past hated her as much? There were too damn many secrets in her life, Sela felt sick down to her heart for that.

All these things were huge and it made her actually miss her family in some way. It was the only family she had ever experienced, after all. Sometimes she wished she could remember her mother. Sela didn't know much about her, but she liked to imagine she had been perfect. It was silly to think like that, but sometimes it was all she had. 

As her mind droned on on all the possible and impossible things, she hardly noticed the forest getting darker and darker, night descending on the mountainside. Undyne was still waiting patiently near her, keeping a keen eye on the woman. 

She had turned off the sounds from her phone, not wanting to interrupt her internal dialogue, which she could only imagine. Undyne herself barely remembered this Gaster. She had seen her only few times as a younger monster and knew Alphys had studied under him at the time when he had died, or disintegrated or whatever had happened to the scientist. From what she knew about him, he had been strickt and rather cold. 

Undyne knew what LV did to monsters and usually it wasn't very pretty. It was a near miracle Asgore hadn't succumbed to his LV completely, but sometimes Undyne did think it had only been because of Toriel. She also was pretty sure that the way Asgore had crumbled under the pressure of losing both his children had something to do with his battle against those effects. Had he been pure he might have not declared a war against humans and taken the lives of the people that had fallen down to Underground before Frisk. 

The way Sans had talked about Gaster tho.. she had a crawling suspicion that the former scientists LV was higher than Asgores. Either way, it did not sound good at all.


	19. Jokes in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have zero funny bones in my body. Forgive me for my terrible jokes.

 

He reclined back on the slightly beat-up office chair and pulled in a satisfied, long breath. Oh how well he could feel the shock of the measly, pathetic monsters finding out he was indeed, alive. Gaster chuckled, the low voice reverberating in his chest, rising to a dark laugh that bounced in his old laboratory. 

Gaster could feel his magic writhe inside his body, sparking with malicious energy as their energies spiked up around the woman, who was working as an unwilling conduit. It was invigorating and he instantly craved for more of that friction.

For a fleeting moment he was sorry he wasn't there to see their faces himself but this was good as well. The magic that was invading Sela's body conveyd all of it happening. Sans' burst, Alphys' complete confusion, Papyrus trying to console his brother, oh it was absolutely wonderful. It was burning his flesh and the markings on them like oil set on fire. 

There would be plenty of opportunities to see the horror on their faces later, he mused. He focused on the human woman, her mortification and fear, her frantic need to set herself far away from anything. It was quite intriguing, the way she tried to cope against the stress of the situation. Something he was rather familiar with, as Gaster remembered he had been much like that previously – shutting himself from the world when push came to shove. It was a dumb luck that she was like that, easy to manipulate, as he now knew. 

Gaster turned his attention with some difficulty back to his work, skimming through an immensely old book, the pages almost turning to dust when he carefully flipped the paper over. He had gathered every piece of knowledge he had on human magic and especially soulbarriers he could muster. Not that it made much difference since there weren't many snippets of information around anymore. 

Annoyed huff pressed through his sharp teeth, grazing the antique book he had closed with care. He had some personal theories he could go on off but it was clear that there wasn't much to learn without the human woman present. Even with her to study the barrier with, it might be a fools folly – after all, the person responsible had been dead for quite a long time. 

As a barrier it probably shared similarities with the barrier that had kept monster under Mt. Ebott, but that could be the first and the last thing in similarity. The human magicwielders that had erected it had set clear rules for the barrier, effectively making it very vulnerable in the end. Sela's soulbarrier was a whole another deal. There was no telling what the man who had initiated it had actually had in mind. And there certainly weren't any recorded cases of that happening in a very long time. It was quite a conundrum.

He was sure he would find out all that he needed to about the problem at hand. If there was one thing he was good in, it was solving problems. Magic followed certain rules by defenition and a barrier would not be unbreakable no matter how intricately it was weaved.

Gaster stood up, taking a slow stroll to the old oakwood cabinet that stood in the back of his officespace, fishing out an old bottle of spirits he remembered was left there. He ground his teeth together in slight frustration, feeling the somewhat unfamiliar itch settle in his body. Such a long time without a body had numbed him to the habitual senses it came with and it made him a bit unfocused for he had to actually concentrate on the feelings to recodnize them at all. 

It would take some time to come accustomed to this.. cohesion. Gaster stretched his long fingers infront of his face, registering the movement with their corresponding sense. He should really work with this new existence to really gain the dominance he was used to. The time he had spent with Sela, marking her as his property had happened more or less in sheer instinct and he planned to enjoy his next session with thorough mastery. 

The mere thought made his mouth twitch to an anticipating smirk.

 

Sans had cooled off as much as he felt he could and was pretty much consoling Papyrus and Alphys now. Papyrus was confused to the whole situation, since for some reason he didn't have much memories of their late ”father”. Sans mentally scoffed at the thought. Gaster had never been much for familyties and had acted with cold demeanor towards them all the time. He himself had never called Gaster as such. Papyrus, bless his innosence, had insisted on calling him father to Sans' chagrin. That monster did not earn that much endearment from anyone in his mind.

Sans had always taken the brunt of Gasters careless attitude towards them – seeing the brothers more as testsubjects than anything else. Possessions to study and try to better. It had resulted in some not so pleasant results, as Sans had suffered incredibly low HP because of him. He might have been powerful, even if he chose not to display it for most of the time. Gasters brutal regimen in tests had ensured that he despised his own strength. He had had to save Papyrus from his cold gaze turning to the younger skeleton when it became clear that Sans could not be worked on anymore. 

That had put Sans in a situation where he had had to make a standing. It had been ridicilously easy. Gaster was a ambitious man and he had always had more than one project to work on simultaneously. Sans had taken drastic measures and caused the machine he was working on the moment to shortcut and the damage had been made.

As the machine ripped the reality apart, it had also ripped Gaster apart. Sans really had thought he had killed the beast. Now that the memories had rippled back into him and everyone else about the scientist, he remembered how fast he had been erased from the existance. As a scientist himself he scolded himself for not doing enough of studying to even regard the possibility that he had been merely scattered across time and space – forgotten literally. It should have raised so many red flags up, but it didn't. His relief had been too great to overlook and see the hints. And shortly after, even he had forgotten.

And then the resets had begun and everything went to hell in a handbasket – the problems caused by the disruptions overshadowing anything else. 

Sans hated that Papyrus had to remember anything at all. It was hard for Papyrus to understand why Gaster was attacking their new friend so viciously, since he had not known the full extent of his inhumanity in the past. But even Sans had to admit, Gaster had certainly not improved in where ever he had been. The traces of his energy lingering in Sela's house and her body were proof of that.  
Should the traces of his magic been something Sans could have identified even in his subconsciousness, he probably would have been slapped into regocnizing his influence but that was not the case. His energy was wholly different and there was nothing familiar in it.

After calming Papyrus down, he was more than ready for sleep and Sans made sure to read to him extra pages. He knew it was something his baby brother enjoyed immensely. Alphys had also calmed down as much as the perpentually nervous scientist could and she was sipping tea in the kitchen and texting with Undyne, who was still outside keeping an eye on Sela. It had been nearly two hours and from what Alphys relayed on him, she hadn't moved at all from her spot. It made Sans nervous, but Papyrus needed him too and he could not ignore that fact. 

Sans didn't make it very far into the story he was reading to Pap, when the skeleton drifted into sleep already, making his exhaustion painfully obvious. Sans had to admit to himself he was having some pretty damn strong contradictory feelings about this whole thing. He wanted to shelter his brother as much as he could and at the same time he did want to protect Sela too.. and the absolute shit thing was that they didn't suit very well with one another. 

And that brought him crashing right into the mystery why Gaster was doing any of this to her. Albeit there was much about Sela Sans didn't know yet but he had a hard time imagining anything that he would want from her. He was sure there had to be a reason, surely, but as to what it was, he was at a loss. Even more reason to have some deep conversations with her. He was involved too much to turn his back to her, not that it was in his nature anyway to send someone in need off to the wolves.

He wished it could be an easy decision, to just favor his brother and his friends but he knew Gaster too well. If he wanted to hurt them, he would, be it through a human or by hand. Sans considered the possibility that Sela had been targetted simply by living next to them but Sans had seen too much of Gasters methods to know it could not be such a plain reason. Gasters habit of milking everything for its worth was something he couldn't forget. The old bastard probably had some scheme he was acting upon and he would unfold it. 

If there was one thing he was extremely interested in, was solving problems. 

Sans sauntered to the kitchen, slumping to the chair across Alphys. The small lizard was busy tapping out a text to Undyne, no doubt. 

”Anythin' new on the front?”

”N..no, Undyne says s..she is s..still just s..sitting there.” Alphys shot him a troubled look over her spectacles. ”N..not that I w..wonder why. She m..must be really s..s..shocked.”

With a sigh Sans lowered his head to his hands, rubbing his temples. ”Yeah.. I think we're all pretty fuckin' shocked.” 

”S..Sans.. you really d..did try to k..kill him? Is t..that w..why you resigned your w..work a..as a scientist?” Alphys extended her clawed hands, taking his bony one between them. She was squeezing his hand lightly, like she wanted to make sure he didn't think she was judging him. Sans smiled tiredly.

”The easy answer would be yes. There were ..other reasons too.” His pinpricks shifted to the side, he wanted to spill everything about the resets but he just wasn't ready. Even with this bomb of information about Gaster being out there now. Alphys didn't push him, simply squeezing his hand again in reassurance. It never ceased to amaze him where he had gotten friends like this.

”I w..wonder what h..happened to him. G..Gaster I mean. I..if he d..didn't die, w..where did he go?” Alphys said more to herself than to Sans. Sans could see the familiar gears turning in her head as she pondered the possibilities.

”Yeah. That's what I'd like to know too.” 

”And w..why S..Sela?” 

”That too.”

Silence fell between the two, there just wasn't much to say. Somehow it felt too early to start rambling about theories when there was literally not enough information to go by. 

”It's getting late.. I better go get Sela back inside and let you and Undyne get some sleep. Shit, I need sleep, if I can even catch some.” Sans concluded after few minutes. Tomorrow would be another day and the weight of everything that had happened was heavy on his bones. 

”Y..yes.. But I h...have to stress t..that we d..do have to do s..something a..a..about this all. We c..can't leave Sela a..alone with this.”

”Agreed.”

With a gentle pat Alphys released Sans' hand and he got up, heading to the door leading outside to the backyard.

 

It felt like something was misplaced.

Sela had sat in the dark for an inestimable time, her thoughts skipping in her head like slippery eels. She could not concentrate on anything anymore, they just flowed right by, wether she really cared or not. There was a unidentified sensation in her whole body that took most of her conscious mind to try to pinpoint and still it was evading her.

She felt like there was something happening inside her that made her feel like she didn't control her own body like she should. Like she had a second skin or something, she couldn't describe it very well. There was something moving in her, like she was suddenly aware of her own bloodflow, the basics of her bodily functions keeping her enraptured and slightly disturbed. 

The darknes around her felt soothing since it obscured most of the foliage and undergrowth and Sela felt she could have easily felt overstimulated by more senses being spiked like this. She could feel her heartbeat, steady and forceful – pumping eagerly away inside her. There was also the now unmistakable sensation of her soul inside her chest. 

Despite the barrier around it, it felt as disturbed as her mind. She felt an anxious flutter and vibration that almost numbed her arms, making them feel feeble. She tried rising her hand, watching the limb closely as it did like she willed it to. From outside Sela was sure she looked like she was as normal as anything, but she couldn't shake the uneasiness inside her.

Suddenly she was keenly aware that someone was standing before her and she jolted right out of her reverie, staring into the tired face of the skeleton looming over her, hand extended.

”Sela? Ya alright?” He sounded concerned and Sela deduced he must have been there for a while and she had totally ignored him. Maybe it was more than obvious she was million miles away inside her head. 

”Uhh.. yeah.” Her voice cracked a little, from the lack of use and as his presence started to overshadow the oddness inside her, Sela was coming to the realisation that she was a bit cold, the nightly dew making her clothes damp. Man.. had she really been that deep in thought? Sela let Sans pull her up and she dusted her behind carefully, trying not to blush from the short contact with the warm bones of his hands.

Her awareness was constantly waking more, making her question how she had gotten into that state in the first place. All she remembered was running outside with Undyne on her heels, heading for the forest and just going into a tailspin of miserable angst. Sela couldn't say where her lousy thoughts had ended and the spiral into that weird perception of herself begun. 

”Where's Undyne?”

”I sent her to get Alphys. It's late kiddo, we better get inside. Dunno about ya, but I'm bone-tired.”

There was a small smile on his bony face and Sela huffed with amusement. It was a simple joke but it felt more appropriate for Sans than concern and fear in his voice. And somehow it made her feel better, maybe with the fact that it was so simple and endearing. 

”What? Did I tickle your funny-bone?” The skeleton quipped like it was second nature to him.

Sela didn't have much to laugh about but she couldn't help the snicker from escaping her lips. Sela didn't laugh much at all on normal basis either and this whole situation was just so daft. She was standing in pitch black forest with a skeleton monster dishing out bonejokes to her, and her life was in shambles. She was being chased by a mysterious, death-defying monster who had made the skeleton before her and nothing made much sense. Bone jokes. For some unfathomable reason, those made the perfect sense.

Her snicker grew into a full bellylaugh, her whole body doubling over.

”Yeah, you sure tickled it a skele-ton!”

Sans snorted.

”Eh, well ya know me.. I'm a pretty bony guy, I'm told.” 

”A bone-afied comedian!” Sela was gasping for air, even Sans was chuckling.

”No fibula. Don't let any-bony tell ya otherwise.”

”Staaph..ahahah.. ” Sela wiped away tears that had gathered to the corners of her eyes. It felt freeing to laugh like that. Despite of this all. Or in the face of it all, perhaps, more fittingly. 

Sans' eyelights were twinkling in obvious satisfaction to her somewhat uncharacteristic reaction. He liked her laugh. It was airy and vibrant and sorely unused he decided. Simultaneously it felt good to hear it and bad to realize how little she laughed. 

”Come on, let's get inside.” He offered his hand to the woman.

It sombered her in an instance, she looked at his hand with sorrowful eyes, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. ”I've been such a nuisance already, Sans..”

He closed his sockets and sighed. ”Don't. Even. Sela.. You're not gonna be alone with this.”

”But why? Why do you wanna help me? I don't.. I don't understand.” She told him with painful honesty in her voice. 

”Because _I want to_. And that's my choice and I won't.. I _can't_ stand on the side.” There was so much weight in his words, like there was a much deeper meaning there that eluded Sela. She could tell he was being deadly serious, his eyes locked to hers so intimately, burning fiercely in his sockets. 

Sela took his hand wordlessly and he lead them back to the house in companionable silence.


	20. Unveiling a theory

 

_It was silent as she floated in a space filled with all encompassing light. Nothing felt like anything and she wasn't aware of any movement untill she could finally feel things moving around her.  
Despite the seemingly calm she started to feel uncomfortable, like she could sense something happening._

_The event bloomed ever so slowly before her eyes, like a painting being painted painstakingly accurate. She could see a room forming, five people sitting in a circle on the wooden floor. A scent of something herbal wafted across the sight, like she was almost there herself.  
A small girl was lying in the middle of the circle, eyes open and few stray tears staining her pale, round cheeks._

_The room was full of shadows, cast by a few candles lit just outside the circle. There was something painted on the floor, markings that sparked regocnition, tho she could not grasp why they were so familiar. As the scene unfolded, she could hear the low murmurs the five surrounding the child were uttering. She could not descipher what they were saying, but it filled her with sudden dread._

_She wanted to help the child as her fear was evident in the way her eyes were moving franticly around the people who were either oblivious to her or didn't simply care. There was movement in the shadows, one of the people unsheathing a dagger and the blade catched the light of the candles, twinkling sharply._

_Everyone else in the circle fell silent and there was a hush that swallowed the room for a moment. The man who was holding the dagger rose to his knees, making sweeping gestures with the blade, whispering words that she could hear. The words filled her whole heart with paralyzing horror._

_”We offer thee this flesh, this blood, this spirit, to take and have, to own and use. Please, accept this sacrifice as a payment for the power we seek to wield.”_

_The shrill cry of the child cut through the air as the man cut her small, trashing arm open with the dagger, red blood gushing forward. Everyone in the circle leaning forward towards her to smear their fingers in the liquid, painting a mark on their other palm. Despite the pain and fear of the child she didn't get up and run, like she was unable to do anything more than cry helplessly._

_Something was moving in the darkness beyond the candlelight trying to come forth and in unison all the candles were blown out, plunging the room into total darkness. The only sounds in the space were the sniffles of the child and clothing shifting nervously._

_She could sense it drawing closer, under the protection of the dark, it was swirling around the people in the circle, making them gasp with fervor and satisfaction. They had succeeded in calling something forth. Something darker than dark. Suddenly the room burst into a cacophony of screaming and wailing, hissing and trembling bass that even she could feel inside her whole body._

_Her own scream ripped the light and the darkness, braking apart the display infront her into mess of images that were ripping into tiny pieces untill nothing was left. She was alone in the stillness of the white. She could feel sweat dripping down her form, fear not leaving her. She wasn't alone. With a shiver she whipped around, locking eyes with the thing looming over her._

 

Sans was keeping an eye on Sela. He hadn't had the heart to wake up Papyrus and he was fairly certain he wouldn't have been able to sleep himself so he had taken the task of guarding her sleep. She was turning and tossing around the bed, mumbling incohorently to herself. Sans could see she was clearly having a nightmare.

Before he had the chance to wake her up, Sela bolted upright, breathing hard and sweat clinging to her forehead. She was staring at her bandaged hand eyes wide and then she started to rip it off with a sob. Sans' hand shot out to take hers. 

”Just a nightmare, kid, calm down.” 

Slowly Sela seemed to become aware of him as he gently squeezed her hand in his own. Her hand was eerily cold. She just stared at him for a while, looking confused and then she hummed and laid back down. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Sans blinked. That was wierd. He shook his head and righted the blanket on her, sweeping the sweat from her brow with a cloth that was left on the bedside table. 

He wondered if she would remember anything of the episode in the morning. 

Somehow Sans sensed there wouldn't be anything more happening that night and he slowly let his socket slide close, letting himself finally fall asleep. 

He woke up to a hand gingerly shaking his shoulder, a delicious scent wafting in the air. Sans squinted blearily, finding Sela standing infront of him, holding a mug of coffee to him.

”Morning.” She looked better, a bit pale still and her eyes had a tired look to them. She had a small smile on her lips.

Sans took the coffee gratefully. ”Mornin'.. How're ya up already? And thanks.. ya didn't have to but thanks anyway.” He took a sip of the steaming liquid, finding it incredibly good, humming with satisfaction.

”Well you have done so much for me. It's not much but I think I'm pretty good at making coffee.” She sat on the edge of the bed, taking her own cup in her hands.

”Clearly. I can't espresso my feelings how good it is.” The humorladen huff he got off of her was almost as nice as the coffee. 

”Too early for puns? Come on now, I hafta get to my daily grind.” 

Sela groaned and hid her face to her hand. ”I should've foreseen this would happen.” She sighed, but she sounded pretty happy about it. 

Sans hummed and a companionable silence fell between them. 

”Sans.” Sela looked serious when she finished her cup and lowered it on the table. He looked at her expectantly. He could only imagine she had some questions. After all, they had not really talked alot yesterday, both of them too tired and too raw from the previous turmoil.

”So this thing.. monster? W.D Gaster? You said he made you and Papyrus?” The way she said his name was timid, almost a whisper, like it wasn't something she wanted to say.

”Essentially.. yes.” He sighed. ”I don't know how he did it but I have some theories about it. He never explained in detail.” 

”Why did he do it? Was he.. like a dad to you two?”

Sans scoffed. ”Hardly. Papyrus always called him father but.. I never did. He didn't know him like I did.” His stare was somewhere far away and a shudder ran through him.

”He used me, tried to make me powerful and in a way he succeeded but he made mistakes and ended up messing me up enough to leave me.. well." Sans petered off, not saying anything more about the subject that seemed to be sore for him. Probably for a very good reason.

Sans found Sela's hand snaking into his and he took it. Bitterly he smiled to himself. Apparently they had that thing in common now – suffering in the hands of the scientist. He dared to raise his eyelights to Sela's eyes. For a moment he had been afraid to find pity or horror in them, but there was a hard, understanding look that made his magic tingle. She seemed to know how he felt. 

”How the hell is he alive if you killed him?” 

”I didn't kill him efficiently enough. I don't know how he did it, but some part of him must have survived.. somehow. In any case, after his disappearance, the whole of Underground forgot he ever existed. Shit, even I forgot.”

”How's that even possible?” Sela scrunched her brow.

”It probably has something to do with how he survived. I'm more concerned with how he managed to come back, why he's here and why..”

”Why he attacked me.” Sela worried her lower lip between her teeth, finishing his sentence and Sans nodded. 

”Do you remember anything else about it? When he attacked you.. I mean, anything he said or..” He looked uncomfortable, sorry he even had to ask, but it was necessary. He could hear her drawing a long breathe in through her nose. He felt her hand squeeze his and he started to apologize when she cut him off. ”Don't say you're sorry. I know you have to ask.” 

She seemed to steel herself and her voice had an edge, like she was working to be angry, to not crumble.

”He did draw out my soul. It wasn't anything like when Ms Toriel did it.. it hurt, maybe because I didn't want him to.” Sans' eyes shot to hers, she looked tormented but her expression was set, she was determined to get through it. ”He was as surprised about the barrier thing like her.. but he did say something odd about it.” She squinted her eyes, trying to remember.

”He said that it was a dying mans last wish or some shit like that.”

”Hmm..”

”What do you think it means?”

”I'm not sure, but I do think we need to do some tests on the barrier, if you're okay with that.”

Sela fell silent for a while, thinking about it. Sans could see her trepidation as it crossed her face.  
”Can't promise it won't feel uncomfortable but we might get some answers.”

”Alright. If it's the only way.” 

Sans nodded. He wished he wasn't promising more than he and Alphys were capable of but it was their only chance.

 

After making breakfast and taking a long shower Sela was ready to head to Alphys' lab. They had to use the one in the Underground, as the university didn't have all the equipment they needed to study her soul. 

Papyrus had bolted off with Undyne to their respective morning rituals, which included rigorous exersices. Sela wondered how the hell did they benefit a skeleton, but no one else questioned it. At least the cheery skeleton had something to do with his time. She herself was not that happy about the trip to a lab. It sounded so.. clinical. She had always hated hospitals and anything the like.

Sans had cleared the trip on her behalf from Asgore. Every human needed a permission from him to enter Underground and they didn't want to leave it to chance if they would run into someone down there. Even if Sans teleported them, there was still possibility that someone was working around the facility now that it was open to monsters.

The true laboratory where Alphys had worked had been closed off for some time, Sans had mentioned something to her about Amalgamates, but she didn't understand most of it as he didn't offer any further explanation. 

Teleporting that long distance was just as uncomfortable as Sans had warned, Sela's head was swimming and she had to lay down for a while, nausea setting in. The instinctual feeling that she was under a fricking mountain provided unnecessary discomfort to her senses. Luckily the laboratory was huge, the ceilings high up and well lit with flourescent fixtures all around. It still smelled like a hospital – too clinical. 

Alphys went to work right away, she didn't seem disturbed by the claustrophobic feeling Sela was experiencing. The short lizard was rummaging through the cabinets, gathering some supplies.

”I..if you want to I c..can give y..you a mild s..sedative, Sela.” 

She couldn't stop shivering and she nodded minutely, offering her arm for the monster. Alphys took a sterile needle and filled it with a clear liquid from a small bottle, tapping the thin skin on the inside of her elbow. She found a vein with professional ease, Sela hardly noticed the pinprick of the sharp needle. Within minutes she could feel her muscles relaxing and her fear ebbing to a barely notable discomfort. 

They assisted her into a rather spacious room that had several tables and cabinets lining it, in the middle was a odd looking contraption – it looked like a giant dragon skull, thick cabels running from it to the ceiling. There was somekind of control panel infront of it, filled with all kinds of push buttons, levers and rotating knobs. Alphys ambled to it, firing the machine up and a rather futuristic slim screen lowered from a compartment in the ceiling. 

”Alright.. S..Sela, just go a..and lay in the middle, you h..have to be s..strapped down a..as the table flips u..up.” 

Sela nodded and padded to the skull, pulling herself on the tablelike level. Sans strapped her in, he looked really bothered to do it but he didn't say anything. In passing Sela wondered what the machines function had been before. Evidently it pulled the soul out but she could see from her vantage point, that there was a mechanical arm inside the roof of the skulls mouth, holding a startlingly big needle. She was sedated enough not to panic at the sight of it.

Soon the table started to turn so that she was upright and another mechanical arm with a device that looked like a small camera lowered. Sans was saying something to her but it took a few moments to register.

”Ready? 'm gonna pull your soul out now.” 

”Okay.”

Sans' hand did a small motion that she barely noticed and she felt the mist slip from her, leaving behind only a shallow sense of emptiness. The machine whirred to life, its low humming filling the room. A bright lightbeam locked on the soul and the camera started to scan the shape up and down. Alphys was staring with Sans at the numbers running in the screen in fascination. They were conversing with muted voices Sela could not hear that well through the sounds of the machine.

Sans had walked up to her, tapping her hand.

”Now for the part that's not gonna be so fun.” He had a solemn look on his face. ”We need to sample the barrier to see what its made of to be sure.” 

”How doess that happen?” Sela felt her speech slurring a bit due to the sedation running in her veins.

”Well, that happens with that needle.” Sans tried to sound relaxed and it worked, Sela stole a look of the big needle lowering from the skulls roof and swallowed. A flash of memory flicked through her mind, of Gasters sharp claw poking her soulbarrier and the pain it had caused. Sela was incredibly happy about the sedative now. She knew she wouldn't have said yes without it. 

”Fine.. jusst.. be quick with it.” 

Sans nodded to her and waved his hand to Alphys, staying by her side, holding her hand. Sela didn't mind, at least this would be nicer, having some emotional support.

The needle slowly crept towards the mist and Sela had to close her eyes, she really didn't want to see this. With a shuddering gasp she felt it pushing in, then stopping. It burned her whole being with a sharp pain that soon dulled to an ache she felt she could deal with. She was squeezing Sans' bones hard and she could make out him muttering to her to breathe steadily. 

”Not long.. ya doin' so good. Just breathe, 's fine, good girl.” 

Sela followed his instructions, forcing her breathing to a slow rhythm, concentrating only on that. 

”Ya can open your eyes. It's over.” Sans smiled when she cracked one eye open carefully. She exhaled in relief. It wasn't half as bad as the experience had been when Gaster had attacked the barrier. The table started to right itself and when it was done Sans undid her restraints, offering a hand to pull her up. Sela took it and let him lead her to the control panel where Alphys was printing out the findings.

”Sso.. what'ss the verdict?” Sela took a seat on a stool that Sans offered. 

”Your b..barrier shares s..similar numbers as the o..old one we had here, t..that's for sure. It's j..just a smaller v..version of that. Also i..it has d..definitely remnants o..of human magic! The o..only problem s..seems to be t..that it h..has a sort of c..circulation.” Alphys' nose was buried into the papers as she was tracing the text there carefully with her claw.

”Circulation, what the hell does that mean?” Sans asked and Alphys passed him a paper, pointing to a string of numbers. ”T..there, look at th..these numbers.”

”Alphys.. do you have another soulenergy reader down here?” 

”Uhmm.. y..yes I believe so. J..just a moment.” Alphys went to hunt one the devices she was pretty sure was somewhere in one of the laboratorys stockrooms.

Sans was reading the numbers with a concentrated expression, Sela had no idea what the skeleton was thinking, but his whole demeanor seemed a bit different to his normal, lazy one. His back was straight and his eyelights were bright, moving from side to side, following along the paper. He was tapping his phalange on his mouth, his teeth hiding behind the bone in a serious expression. 

Sela remembered how oddly mallable the bones on his face were, her brain choosing to blast forth an image of them kissing and she instantly felt heat rising to her face. She swallowed nervously, shit, that had happened too. And more. Her hand trailed to her shoulder where the small punctures of his bite still laid hiding. Why was she thinking about that? What was wrong with her?

It felt like the sedation was burning out rapidly and she could feel her heart pound with force that surprised her. She didn't feel nervous.. no that wasn't it. Sela tried to tap into her senses, trying to focuse on what was going on but it felt so hard, the feeling of not having complete control over her own self surfacing again. Like something was horrible misplaced and things were just happening and she could not do anything to slow them down.

She was squirming in her seat and she was so relieved that Sans didn't seem to notice at all. Soon Alphys came back, carrying a small device in her hands but she sure seemed to notice something odd was going on with her although she didn't say anything. Sela kept biting down her teeth, hoping the scientist would just think she was nervous or sore from the test.

”Just stay seated, this'll take only a moment..” Sans took the soulenergy reader and pointed it at Sela who sat stiffly on the stool. He flipped it on and let it read the energy that was drifting from her. He was staring at the reader, fiddling with the device. Alphys gasped.

”O..oh! That's n..new!” 

”Yeah.. but it's like I suspected.” Sans answered her. Sela didn't trust her voice to say anything at the moment. She had more than enough trying to wrangle some control with herself as she could feel the warmth spreading inside her, slowly trickling to her limbs and more noticeably to her lower region. Crap.. she needed to get away, now! Before something happened.

”Sela.. y..you're awfully red.. A..are you a..alright?” 

Sela inhaled sharply, her eyes snapping shut, shit, Alphys had noticed.

”Y..y..yeahh.. I'm f..f..fine- ”

That seemed to snap even Sans up from his science state of mind. His sockets grew and a blue dusted his face. He inhaled too and coughed immediately, sounding ashamed. He nudged Alphys, making few choice expressions and Alphys took a small sniff near Sela. Alphys backed up, brow scrunched in confusion.

”She's g..going i..i..into heat??” 

Sans was grinding his teeth so loudly they could both hear it. ”Humans don't go into heat. It has to be a side effect from something.”

”H..has it happened b..before?” Alphys was slowly backing towards the door and Sela was becoming very nervous. Why was she doing that? 

”Y..yes! W..where a..a..are you going?” She managed to ground through her teeth, she was clenching her trembling hands around herself, in effort to fight what ever this ridicilous, overbearing feeling was.

”W..well.. You s..see, when a m..monster g..goes into h..heat, it c..can kinda be c..contagious!” Alphys had backed to the door, only her head was peeking through. ”Its v..very hard to r..resist s..someone in h..heat!” 

”Oh fuck..” Sela bit her knuckle and wished the earth would split open and swallow her. She never wanted Alphys to know about this thing, it was beyond embarrassing. ”Sans.. y..y..you s..should leave!” She croaked.

”I can't do that! What if Gaster swings by, we have no idea where he is.” His voice was strained and he was almost shouting. Sela could hear him growling and that ignited her insides further like someone would have flipped a switch. She bolted out of the stool, clampering to a corner, her breathing was laboured, the need eating her every attempt at getting on top of the feeling. Her whole body was trembling.

”Please! I..is t..there anything.. any.. d..drug you could g..give me?” She couldn't even look to him, hiding her face to the corner of the room like a scared animal. 

”I'll try to find something..” Was there disappointment in his voice or was she just imagining it?

Sela could hear him opening cabinet doors and pulling out drawers, searching for what ever he thought could help her situation. 

”U..uhm.. this could work..” He was mumbling to himself, eyeing a derivative of some sedation drug, much stronger than the one Alphys had used prior. If it didn't work they could try simple sleeping drug, if Sela wanted that.

Sans knew it might be in vain. He knew from experience in dealing with heats that they didn't simply disappear with medication. The only known way out of such a state was to either suffer through or fuck through it. He really hoped Sela's case wasn't as strong and since she had calmed down pretty fast the last time that might just be the case. The meds might do the trick.


	21. Burning Both Ends (R)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut, smut, smut, smut. For some odd reason writing this chapter made me really nervous. Heh, hope it's sufficiently satisfying. *coughs*

 

Sela was panting through clenched teeth, trying to hold herself against the corner. Desperation was clouding her mind to the point she could not think straight – along the insufferable pulsing in her veins. 

”Do it fast!” She gasped as Sans grabbed her hand. She could feel the skeletons hand trembling as much as she was at this point. She was beyond embarrassed, this was going to be the end of her in the long run if this wouldn't work. She was swallowing furiously, apprehension like a cement block in her guts. She didn't fear needles normally but now her every sense was heightened to the point that even his touch made her skin heat even more, pulling an airy whimper from her. She heard Sans grunt, he must have felt the force of her heat, badly.

The needle pushed against the crook of her arm and Sela's whole body seized, the muscles in her legs almost giving out from the strain. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming, fuck, she could feel the metal sliding into her flesh with stinging pain that she had never felt from a mere needle before. The liquid that was pushed inside made her face scrunch up. 

Sans watched her carefully, her face was flushed and the pain was evident on her face and he wanted to say he was sorry but he could not trust his own voice. As he slid the needle out he held the place where it had penetrated her skin and he saw Sela's whole body twitch. Sweat was building on his skull, slipping down and creating glistening tracks on his bone. Touching her in this state was dangerous, no scratch that, it was stupid. He felt his soul reacting to her energy, pulsing wildly inside him. 

He knew he needed to let go of her arm but he could not do it, instead against all his better judgement he pulled her tightly into his arms, holding her to his ribcage. The woman shuddered, her slender fingers gripping into his hoodie with force.

”When... will.. i..it work?” She whispered with wavering voice that was a plead and a moan mixed together, making his magic crackle along his bones, his eye flaring into life. The amazing, alluring scent she was emitting enveloped him and he couldn't do much more than to breathe it in like it was oxygen he hadn't breathed in a long while.

”Give it a minute..” He managed to mutter. Gods, it was hard to keep his arms just around her, to not let them wander around and get more onto her skin. She felt burning hot against him, her heat seeping into him deliciously. His mind he could not stop from wandering, creating a slew of mental images of her pinned to the wall, him ripping her clothes off to taste every bit of that unimaginable soft skin. He realized his tongue had materialized into his mouth and was rolling around anxiously.

Sela wasn't much better off. Being held by Sans now felt like being held by a furiously sputtering furnace, her body accepting the heated energy that coming into contact with her own had created. It flowed freely between them, she could feel the coil in the pit of her stomach demanding his touch, his magic, everything. It was maddening and clouding her judgement the longer he held her. She felt the medicine burning in her veins but it wasn't doing anything. 

”Sans...” Her whine made his arms clench around her even harder. The minute felt like eternity stretched between them, fighting the primal urge to tear each others clothes off. ”I..it's not working!” She almost screamed, the painful need in her core flaring out of control. She couldn't take it anymore, her fingers scrambling to pull on his blue hoodie, gripping the zipper. 

Sans felt her mad scramble and he tried to catch her hands, tried to stop it, but as fast as his bones touched her skin the need inside him burst into an explosion he couldn't fight anymore. He needed her, she needed him, he wanted her so bad he couldn't even see straight.  
Had Sans been cabable of any reasonable thought he would have been aware that her heat was even stronger this time, sucking him into it like it was a vortex of sexual energy, crashing into him with unbidden force. All thought of a sleeping drug drained from him with her needy movements in his hold. 

All he could think was the evergrowing compulsion to satisfy her need, make her scream and writhe for him, to take him in any way he could manage to give. His mouth crashed to hers, her lips parting instantly to let him in, tongues dancing feaverishly against each others, Sela's taste making fire burn in his head fiercely. With fervor he bit into her lower lip, making her mewl with pleasure that rattled his bones. 

Before he even registered it he was tearing her clothes, the ripping sound bouncing off the laboratorys walls with his animalistic growls that had started to spill out from him. He pushed her against the cool wall, Sela gasped to the coldness on her now bare back, but it only spurred her on. She couldn't think, she needed, needed, needed. She needed him, his hands on her, his tongue, his taste. Sela sucked his tongue, eliciting a low rumble out of him that stoked the fire in her center. 

Sela moaned when his mouth finally traveled from hers to her sweat slicked throath, nipping and licking, lower, lower, to her breasts. Her nipples were hardened, sore and screaming for stimulation as he licked the sensitive buds, his fingers sliding down her sides to her back, they were pressing so hard, so needy but she felt nothing but pure, undiluted desire for more. Sans bit into her soft breast, a beautiful whine whistling between Sela's teeth when he tugged the flesh, her taste driving him into a feral animal. He raked his phalanges down the skin of her back to her lovely ass, gripping with force he didn't control, sure to leave marks.

Her hips were gyrating with urgency as he worshipped her chest, the overwhelming need gripping his soul in his ribcage, the blue light emanating without restraint from between his ribs, painting her flushed skin in hues of blue. The sight made him growl with possessive joy to see her becoming undone from his ministrations. But he couldn't resist the scent of her heedy arousal, it was begging him to travel lower, his tongue laving her skin, he gripped the edge of her pants, ripping them down and off of her, the scent even stronger. 

He parted her bruised legs, the urge to paint over them with bruises of his own making his fingers press into her softness. She was moaning and panting, scratching the wall with her nails like she was an animal herself. He could make out her muttering between her lovely sounds pleads that made his eyes flame pulse with his soul.

Lashing his tongue against her already incredibly soaked folds tore an exhilarated scream from her and a low purr from him, vibrating his magic induced muscle. Her legs were trembling wildly, ready to give out but he extended his magic, keeping her up and pinned to the wall. He gripped her legs, rising them to his shoulders, letting his tongue lave up and down, up and down, tasting her excuisite taste that was driving his lust to new hights. No, he had never felt anything like this before. 

Easily he found the sensitive nub between her folds, circling it with precision that made her back arch against the wall that was becoming slick from her sweat. Sans felt her whole womanhood quiver under his tongue, she was already cumming with ragged breaths. He lapped up her juices, her whole frame jolting to each pass he made. His eyes closed with satisfaction, it was so good, too good. He felt his cock giving a impatient throb in his trousers, demanding attention. He could sense she wasn't done, if anything she was even more greedy.

”Please, Sans.. Sans.. please..” Her pleading was like a drug to his ears. He let her legs down, gripping her hips forcefully and pulling her against his member, she was blissfully grinding to him, her eyes almost glowing with lust that rivaled his own.

”Say it again.” Sans growled, the vibrations traveling to her flesh and she whimpered, all sensibility long gone from her. 

Sela felt the coil inside her building again to his demanding voice, his hands like vices on her and the pulses inside her were becoming painful. She gripped to his ribs, rubbing them and scratching them with her nails. She felt the rumble in his bones and it made her insane with want.

”Sans! Pleaspleaseplease I need youneedyouneedyou oh God please.” 

With a snarl he realeased his erection from the confines of the shorts he was wearing, rubbing it along her wet slit, massaging her clit with the head of his hard member, both of them shuddering and panting. She tried to catch him to her passage but he impossibly kept teasing her, making her whimper with disappointment. There was a dangerous glint in his flaming eye that would have frightened her had she been anywhere near her right mind.

”Ya sure ya want this?” His question was more of a predatory baiting than any real concern he probably should have felt, but his senses were as far away as Sela's, bringing out his feral, possessive and dominating side. Her sweet, needy anguish was music to his forbidden side that laid under the cool exterior of his normal behaviour, like a beast sleeping. Now it had been woken, running rampant in him and overwriting everything else.

”Say it!” His gravelly voice drove into Sela and she shivered, ready to do anything to get what she needed.

”Please, yes, Saaaaanns..aah!” Her plead warped into a luscious moan as he pushed his cock into her, stretching her almost painfully. She was still sore from the violence of Gaster and overly sensitive from the heat but Sela had no thoughts left in her head from any of that, she could only feel as the sense of being filled deliciously ripped more sounds from her lips to Sans' satisfaction. 

She was incredibly tight around him, her slick pussy throbbing around his lenght, driving him into a slew of curses and praises that went mostly unheard as she was trembling in her own pleasure. Sans started to drive into her in a strong, slow pace, determined to feel every incredible inch of her pulling him in. Her legs were resting in his strong grip, her back flush against the wall, her fingers dipping into his ribcage and she felt heavenly as he pounded into her, groans and hard pants echoing in the room with her high wails.

Sans could feel her orgasm approaching fast, her muscles straining and her keens getting higher and he was fighting hard not to cum on the spot when he felt her walls grip his cock like a vice, her eyes were rolling into the back of her head, only whites showing under her fluttering lids. He kept plunging into her with more force, the pleasure almost unbearable at this point.

Sela couldn't even breathe, the coil sprung inside her, exploding a flood of ecstasy into her that made her see stars literally as the room blurred away and she kept coming, the fire burning further by Sans' increased pace and force, his thick cock hitting just the right spot inside her. She screamed voicelessly into the air, her hands gripping him so tight her knuckles turned white. Tears were spilling from her eyes from the intense burst of pleasure that wasn't even over yet. Sela didn't even feel the pain of her extreme orgasm, only feeling another coil starting to wind tighter. 

Her whole body was trembling from the exertion but the maddening heat drove her still on. Suddenly the whole world fell away, the weird feeling of gravity first disappearing then reappearing with a vengeance, turning her stomach around and she found herself flipped, leaning into a table across the room, her backside to the skeleton. He had teleported them and was pushing into her resistant walls from behind with a grunt. 

Sela's back arched, his hands kneading into her sweatsoaked back, snaking slowly around her to her breasts. He bucked his lenght into her again, hitting a new depth and a shuddering scream slipped from her throath that was becoming hoarse from all the noices she was forced to make. 

With every forceful buck of his hips Sans was reaching into her most sensitive spot – the pressure in her core ready to explode yet it didn't and it was driving her senses overboard. She could not take being teetering on the edge much longer like this. Sela begun to writhe against him, searching for the end to the torment burning in her, Sans seemed to sense her problem and slipped one of his hands against her bud, roughly stimulating her further with two of his phalanges and Sela tilted her hips upwards and in no time the pressure surged forth.

Everything stopped for a fraction of a second, all the sound, all the feeling, and then it rushed into her again, her scream was defeaning, Sans' rough yell muted by the blood rushing into her head, the force of the high making her whole body tingle with scalding energy that started to ever so slowly evaporate from her and in tow, from Sans. 

Slowly Sela started to come to her senses, her lungs burning from the hard panting. Sans had collapsed on her back, his bones still quite heated. She could feel him still twitching slightly inside her battered hole, his cum seeping from the folds onto her thighs. She shivered and Sans eased himself carefully from her, she was embarrassed to hear the wet sound the movement produced. Her whole body was drenched in sweat and she felt incredibly spent and dirty. Gues the medication had not worked, she tought to herself with conflicted feelings.

Sans seemed to sense her embarrasment and rubbed soothing circles to her back and sides. She could feel his warm breathe brush against her neck. It felt nice although she wasn't sure how to feel about anything anymore. Her body was sore and her whole lower region was pulsing in the afterglow deliciously, even if it made her feel anxious. 

”I'm sorry, Sela.. ” Sans whispered to her neck, his voice was rough and he sounded so apologetic it made her heart pang with guilt. Why was he sorry? It was her heat that made them both loose any reason and act like animals.

”No.. don't.. It isn't your fault Sans..” She sighed. Her legs started to tremble and Sans picked her up effortlessly to his arms. She wondered how he had any energy left after all that. She couldn't look him in the eye, feeling like she had somehow forced him to brake her out of the burning compulsion. Simultaneously she felt used, she couldn't even begin to understand why everything was so fucking contradictory in her heart. 

She was beyond grateful that it was Sans that had helped her through this but at the same time it felt like an extension of the violence at Gasters hands and in a way it truly was. Sela doubted that without his influence she wouldn't have experienced these heats as the monsters put it. She was forced to want Sans, forced to have these complex feelings and still, they were not that black and white. She liked him, she couldn't deny that. And still she was robbed of a completely free choice over her own actions and being in contact with her, so was Sans. 

Sela felt like a puppet getting caught up in the strings, dancing a dance she didn't know to a malicious master that had not even shown his face after he had laid her against her will. Was he watching? Did he know this was happening and was it something he was enjoying? The thought made a shiver run involuntarily down her spine. Sela felt a surge of intense anger bloom forth from her cocooned soul, making her ball her fists.

”Are ya alright?” Sans could feel her moods swinging wildly in her form. He had walked to a small bed in the room, wrapping a blanket around her body. He felt guilt creep into him as he realized he had torn her clothes up. He was rolling around in more similar feelings than Sela knew, embarrassed from his beastly, predatory conduct and still selfishly satisfied because holy shit it had felt good. He was painfully aware he should not be feeling like that but it was still there, in the backround. 

”I don't know.. it's all so much.” She whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, clinging to her eyelashes. Sans swallowed. He felt like a horrible scumbag now. 

He kept caressing her neck and hair, her subdued sniffles driving a knife into his soul. He really didn't know what to say so he just shushed her and hummed and tried to comfort her to his best abilities. She didn't cry for long, clearly too tired from the strain of the heat. Sans tilted her face to his, kissing her lips tenderly. She didn't pull away and he felt relieved. But he wanted to make sure she knew how he felt. 

”I'm sorry Sela.. I should've behaved.. should've controlled m'self better – again. I.. fuck.. I hope ya don't hate me. I like you.. alot, I don't want to hurt ya – ever.”

She looked into his eyes a long time, the color of her eyes mesmerizing him again. Despite her tears and the weariness they seemed to bloom into multitude of green hues with his words, his soul pulsing softly to that stare. 

”There's nothing to be sorry about, Sans.. I don't hate you.. I.. I hate this situation. I hate not being in control of anything that's happening. I'm.. afraid.” She sighed and wiped the remnants of the tears on her cheeks. ”I'm afraid where this all is going.. and.. I like you too. There's just so many things.. too many things. I'm tired. I'm so tired and I want to hide away.” Her voice was small, quivering with feelings and Sans could understand that perfectly well. 

”Just remember you're not alone.” Sans caressed her cheek, god he really wanted to hide her away. Keep her completely safe from anything bad but he knew better. If Gaster was set on something, they would have to deal with him sooner or later. 

”I'll get ya some clothes.”

Sela nodded and leaned to the wall the bed was against, pulling the blanket around her tighter. Sans gathered the remnants of the ripped shirt and threw it in the trash, searching around the cabinets for anything suitable. Sela massaged her temples, feeling an oncoming headache lurking behind her eyelids. 

She felt so tired, but despite the exhaustion setting in something was bothering her. There was a odd sensation spreading to her gut, like she was being watched. There wasn't anyone else in the room besides them but she had the eerie feeling of eyes on her. A cold shudder ran through her, rising goosebumps to her flesh. Her eyes flicked around the room but she didn't see anything that could explain the sensation. Maybe she was just imagining things. 

Sans came back soon with a simple hospital gown, it was the only thing he could find in this place. He could see Sela was bothered by something, she seemed nervous and anxious to return topground. Not that he himself really wanted to linger here. He had had his share of Underground and was craving fresh air probably as much as Sela. 

After getting Sela somewhat modest they went to get Alphys, only to find a note she had left behind. The scientist had already gone, likely wanting to give them privacy, or perhaps she was embarrassed as well. Maybe both. Sela blushed at the thought that the woman would probably have some questions but now that the cat was out of the bag – so to speak, she might have some insight about what was really causing these heats. Perhaps they would even prevent them somehow.

Considering that the latest heat had started so soon after the other was more than troubling to Sela. Would they keep happening this often? How the hell could she live with that. There had to be something else to combat this besides the obvious remedy of sex. If this was as contagious as it had proved to be she would have to be really careful who she was with. What if an episode like this started in the middle of her new monster friends? The thought terrified her.

With nothing else to do Sans teleported them to his house. Luckily Papyrus was still out with Undyne so Sela could slip to the bath without the younger skeleton getting any hint of what had happened between them. 

Sela's emotions were still a jumbled mess as she laid soaking in the hot water, brooding over everything that was happening. In the solace of the bath she realized that her heat had interrupted both Alphys and Sans from noticing something about her soulbarrier. There had been something odd about the numbers, she vaguely remembered. With a sinking feeling she wondered if it was just more trouble coming along her way. Somehow, that would have not surprised her.


	22. Past and Present

 

Mulling over quite array of feelings was something Sans was used to, even these negative ones that were swimming around in his skull – even if he had apologized, jeez he did that alot lately, he still couldn't help but feel like garbage. It was easy, too easy, to slip back to blaming himself. Old habits die hard, he thought wryly. 

Sela had fled to the bath immediately when they had arrived. He wondered what she was thinking about what had happened. He really hated himself loosing control like that.. Falling so easily into a predatorial animal that had taken exactly what he wanted. When Sela finally came out of the bathroom, cocooned into a big, fluffy towel, he barely could look her in the eye. 

”Sans.”

”Yeah?” He tried to look nonchalant, pretending to read a newspaper in his hands.

”There was something about the soulbarrier you and Alphys didn't get to say.”

That made him look up. The woman was looking at him, and man, if he wasn't surprised that there was no ounce of anger or disappointment in her eyes, she simply looked genuinely puzzled. For a moment he wanted to smack himself again for forgetting that whole thing she was asking about. The numbers had been odd for sure.

”Oh, yeah. Gues we got a bit er.. interrupted.” He cleared his non-existing throat at that and forced his train of thought back into tracks. ”The soulenergy reader picked up on a interesting fact. You have some human magic in you.”

”And what does that exactly mean?” She scrunched her brow, sitting carefully to a chair. With a faint blush she noticed she was still sore from the earlier said distraction.

”It means ya have some magical ability.”

”That's ridicilous. I've never done any magic.” There was nothing that had ever happened to her that she would have chalked up to being magical in any semblance. ”Maybe the reader was broken?”

Sans just shook his head. ”I don't think so. An' I think I know where your magic goes into, since we couldn't pick up on it your house when we did readings there.”

Sela didn't know how to feel about that. Almost everything about her life had already been turned upside down many times over in the last week and mostly not in any good way. Being told she had some magic herself made her feel like she was beginning to question if she had just fallen into coma at some point and everything about this was just coma induced hallusinations and dreams. Wouldn't that have been a relieving thing? Something in her gut just kept pounding away, telling her that this was her life now.

With resignation she sighed, laying her face into her hands. ”Where does it go then.” She mumbled into her palms.

”To your barrier. Magic does follow some rules and barriers are powerful magic alright, but no magic is powerful enough to just be selfsufficient for long periods of time. Like the barrier we monsters were trapped in – it fed off of us to keep itself intact. Your barrier may have not been something ya did to yourself, but ya are the one that's keeping it going.”

Sela raised her eyes to Sans'. He looked completely serious. 

”How do you explain that I don't even know I'm doing it?” Had the monsters not been freed, she would have never even known anything about her soulbarrier, or a soul for that matter.

”Maybe ya didn't have to at first when it was put up, probably.. but at some point ya must have just fallen into that naturally. People do alot subconciously, don't they?”

”Yes, but even subconcious thoughts and actions usually mirror some way into behaviours. There should be some signs of me doing it.. ” Sela fell silent as she talked. Oh five thousand fucks in a row. She dropped her face again to her hands, groaning. Sans followed her realization pretty damn keenly, whistling in surprise.

”Well. Gues we know now why ya were such a hermit.” 

”Sans, it ain't that simple of an answer. Believe it or not, but there are reasons why I started to close myself off of people.” Sela muttered but she had to admit it, she had just now understood it herself. Reasons in her past aside, it must have been at least partly because of her magic feeding into the barrier, making her shut herself to the world. Maybe it was making it easier to herself to keep the magic up, if she avoided other people. 

”I believe that. But ya never talked about your past.” There was no accusion in his voice but Sela had to take a quick peek from her palm. The skeleton was regarding her with a thoughtful gaze, eyelights bright and defined. She could imagine him having questions and she felt relieved that he never had pushed.

”I know.. It's hard to talk about it.” She knew she probably should shead some light on her past but then another realization waltzed in her head.

”Why do I even have a soulbarrier? Why does my magic keep it up?” She was talking more to herself, but Sans squinted and seemed to ponder at the fact too. ”Who put it up? Did they have a reason to do that? Would anyone really do that kind of magic without any need for it..” 

”They wouldn't. Besides, it's not some beginner shit either. What did Gaster say about it again... it being a dying man's last wish, was it?”

”That's what he said but I don't understand that. Only dead man in my family is my dad and he sure wasn't any magician.” Sela scrunched her nose. Her father had been many things but magical? Fuck no, he hadn't even been religious, a man of simple things right up to the end.

”Hmm. There's not anyone else? No other relatives?” 

”No.” Sela's face paled and her mouth fell open slightly, like she was remembering something. ”Wait..” She swallowed mutely, just staring of to the space for a while. When she finally looked Sans straight in the eyes, her eyes had hardened, a resolve had set in. ”I think I need to tell about my past.” 

”I'm all ears.” Sans motioned to the side of his head with a small smile.

 

Gaster swiveled in his chair. Of course he had seen it all. Even better, he had felt it also. He had installed cameras all over the facility a long time ago and had fired up the equipment just after he had felt Sela so tantalizingly near. He really had had to reign in his burning desire to snatch the woman from under Sans' nose. 

Naturally, it wouldn't have been hard to accomplish, but he still had things to do before he would get her. It was amusing to see Sans and Alphys trying to figure out the soulbarrier. Besides, it still served a purpose to have the woman loose. It would be all the sweeter to see his ”son” try to battle against his mark. 

It was an interesting thing to notice how the mark flared into life being in his proximity. The compulsion that Sans and Alphys misinterpreted as heat. It being something that Sans could not resist was also a surprise, but the more he dwelled on it, the more it made sense. The skeleton already felt something for the woman and naturally was attuned to magical energies as a monster – it made him chuckle that they had so willingly settled on the heat theory, not even really contemplating other options. 

Gaster had also been rather surprised about the fact that they had managed to actually get some valuable information about the soulbarrier – that it was actually Sela who has keeping the magic up. He mentally berated himself that he himself had not realized it when he had seen the barrier, or when he had tried to get information on it. 

No matter how distracted he had been during marking her, he should have been able to notice these things. With a disappointed snarl he had to admit that there was still much to get used to in his new form. Without the years of disconnect from material existence he would have been able to detect her own magic powering the barrier. It made sense that she had some magic, Gaster suspected that the wretched man wouldn't have tried to use her as a sacrifice had she not had natural ability for that.

So, no matter what the scoundrel had had in mind when he had weaved the barrier, it mattered very little in the end and that was good news. Gaster would only have to get a good feel of Sela's magic to be able to brake down the barrier effectively. There was also a good possibility that his magic could be eating at it every moment, since it was much more potent than her innate ability. 

Finding out about her magic did make her even more of a perfect subject for him. It made waiting far more difficult than it should be. 

Gaster sauntered over the shivering form on one of the study tables. Despite the restraints, the human was trying to trash around, sobbing feebly when it noticed the tall scientist standing next to them, looming over with eyes that shone with sharp intellect. Gaster simply waited for the human to stop trying to rip the sturdy restraints, to work themselves to exhaustion before a miniscule smile carved his mouth.

_**”Done with the fighting? Good.”**_ He brought his hand from behind his back to measure the subjects heartrate. The humans eyes were wide, brimming with tears that he ignored as he made sure it was as stable as possible. Some effects from fear and stress were present, but nothing besides those, which made him very satisfied. 

He could start the experiments without much fuss. 

Gaster rolled the metallic table next to the subject who tried to franticly see what he had laid on a white sheet that was on it. A muffled wail trailed through the gag in the subject mouth but he didn't pay any mind to it. He took the diluted concoction of his own essence from the table, pushing a sterilized needle to it and withdrew some of it to the syringe.

Without any explanations to the now heaving human he pushed the needle into the crook of its arm, the humans blood mixing into the dark liquid in the syringe, tinting it deep red for a moment. He pressed the mix into bloodstream, jotting down some notes on a clipboard with a summoned hand. 

This should be interesting.

 

Talking about the past wasn't easy even when she had made the decision to tell about it. Sela told Sans everything she could think of at the moment. How her mother had died, leaving her father more than distraught and how she had been taken in by her uncle to care for her. She told him how she didn't remember anything about that time in her life.  
How she had been found on her fathers doorstep few years after that, with no word from the uncle. How he had turned up dead after some time. 

She told how she only had found out about this in her fathers deathbed and that there was no more information about it. How things had progressed and how her own mental state had declined ever since, leaving her to shun herself from the world. 

Sans didn't interrupt her tale, letting her spill out the tragedy, but his mind was working furiously at the same time. In a way he wished he would have asked her earlier about her past but then again, he doubted she would have been so willing to tell. Sela would have just probably clammed up, just like Sans knew he himself would do, if people tried to press him into talking about something he didn't want to talk about.

”That's about it. God, I wish I would have asked more about my uncle from dad.” A flash of regret flooded her green eyes, her mouth falling into a small frown.

”Is there anyone else to ask about him, like aunts or relatives?” Sans asked. 

They had easily come to the conclusion that there must have been something that had happened during her stay with him. Even Sans could feel her frustration that grew with each thing that was revealed, since they only seemed to bring more questions forth. In a way it was pretty ironic. 

”It was just my dad and Ben.. and my grandparents have already died. Our family was never big on keeping in contact with relatives anyway so I really don't know if there's anyone left who would remember Ben.” Sela ran a hand through her damp hair, desperation clear in her voice. ”I just wish I could remember!”

”Do ya think there's anything that could help with that?”

”I've heard that trauma can cause amnesia and that it can be treated with hypnosis sometimes.. But I don't know. It's mostly regarded as pseudo-sciense, really. And I've been in therapy when I was younger, it never worked.”

Sela wished so badly that there would be some miracle cure for ailments of the mind, but that was more than foolish, there never was and probably would never be. Besides, there was a horrible, foreboding feeling brewing in the back of her mind. Like she had thought once that if she knew what had happened it would be just another bitter truth to swallow down and she honestly didn't know if she could do it. 

What ever had happened, must have been really bad for her to be this traumatized by it. Could she really survive another blow to her psyche? She didn't know and that made her more than nervous. 

”I just don't know if I can take any more, Sans.” She sighed. Sickeningly Sela wished that she could forget about Gaster and what he had done to her. Amnesia sounded like a pretty damn tempting option. 

”Yeah I can understand that but I think you're more resilient than ya take credit for.” Sans took her hand, squeezing it a bit. His statement only made her scoff under her breath. Resilient.. she didn't see much of that in herself. 

”Ain't that a bit early to say that.”

”Maybe, but you're not alone. Ya have us.”

Oh, he sounded so sincere, but there was a screaming, resentfull voice inside Sela's mind that questioned that with all its might. It was really hard to ignore the wail, hard to try to trust that someone cared about her, even a little. Even if the monsters had shown her more care and appreciation than most humans ever had. Her issues with trust were simply not that easily solved.

Sans understood when she didn't say anything. He could see the hesitation in her shifting expressions plainly and now that he knew about her past, he didn't wonder for a moment why she had a hard time trusting people. It did make him sad and a bit mad. He knew very well that sometimes knowledge only increased pain and Sans felt it constantly the more he learned about humans. It was hard to understand how humans could be so.. cold towards each others. Honestly, the only monster that had shown more humanlike traits in that regard had been Gaster. 

Sans had a theory that seemed to be proving itself somewhat accurate the more he learned. There weren't many monsters that had any LV but those who had, had more of problems that seemed very similar to the problems humans had. Detachment, violence, depression and loss of compassion. It could be possible that adult humans all had some LV that in turn created a vicious cycle, passing the damage on. And since not all humans were inherently damaged, or even succumbed to the effects so easily, he deduced that it had alot to do with how strong of a personality, how strong their soul was and what the people surrounded themselves with. It made an interesting hypothesis at least. 

So far he had only used himself as a example in this theory. Being caught up in the loop of timelines he had had to do alot that he was not proud of. And those actions had raised his LV. Even with resets the effects had stayed and piled, much like his memories, making him a victim to many of the forementioned problems he himself was dealing with. When he had realized that, it had left a bitter taste in his mouth and a perpetual part of intransigence in his soul. 

He did see himself as a broken monster in more than one way. Frighteningly, he could see that Sela saw herself in much of a same way, they really did have more in common despite the obvious differences of species. 

Both of their internal dialogues got interrupted when Papyrus and Undyne burst in, sweaty, out of breathe and dirty with dirt, leaves and blades of grass. Clearly they had been creating a havoc during their training in the woods. 

”Back already? How was the examination?” Undyne was sweeping her face with a damp towel, Papyrus guzzling down water in the kitchen.

”Already? It's three o'clock, did ya two get lost or somethin'?” 

It still amazed Sela how easily Sans could pull up that lazy, seemingly careless mask he usually wore when other people were around.

”Pff, only thing we could loose is indolence!” Undyne suplexed her toned arm, making Sans chuckle. 

”AT LEAST YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SLEEPING ALL DAY AND THAT IS A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT.” 

He certainly had not. Sela could feel her cheeks warming up, as she excused herself to get dressed. She silently cursed her mind since it seemed determined to start to play the earlier events inside her head. She would have not ever guessed that Sans was able be that.. assertive. It was quite a contrast to his usual demeanor. 

Still, the way she lost all control over anything during those heats or what ever they were left a sour taste in Sela's mouth. She desperately needed some power over her life that seemed to be spinning out of her control. As she was pulling a clean shirt over her head she could feel the dread weighing in her belly like a stone. She had to do something. Something to gain some semblance of order.

What was there to do tho? Even with the knowledge that she was powering her soulbarrier she didn't feel any different and shouldn't she? Sela didn't know. Besides, there had to be a reason that her subconscious kept it up. Maybe there was a part of her that was aware she was in danger of something, be it from Gaster or something else she wasn't aware of yet. She had to regard the possibility that Gaster wanted something from her, maybe even her soul and if that was the case, she had no reason to lower her guards down. 

The fact that she had been powering the barrier this long spoke volumes of the danger and gave a pretty strong suggestion that she had been in danger for a very long time. What that meant exactly was still a mystery. 

With a sigh she tried to push the questions out of her mind, it was too fruitless a task to dwell on them right now. She joined Sans, Undyne and Papyrus to the kitchen, as they started on a dinner with enthusiams that made her head spin. Seemed it was going to be the meal of champions, as Papyrus put it – spaghetti. Undyne and Papyrus surely had some interesting opinions about the usually quite mundane dish. In any case, it was as good a distraction as anything to her thoughts.


	23. Storm Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ugh - I'm battling a serious writers block, so a bit shorter chapter but I'll try to get on top of this.. block thingy. ;_; Hopefully it will go away! At least I got something written, yay!

 

As the light begun to wane and the neigborhood started to be engulfed in the darkness, Sela could feel her whole body shifting into a state of nervous jitters. There was no real reason, at least to her to feel that, but there it was, consuming her senses.

She was pretty sure that neither of the brothers noticed it, since she was adamantly keeping the odd sensation just beneath the surface. Undyne had headed home next door when they had eaten and cleared the dishes. Alphys had sent few texts to Sans, making sure they were alright after what had happened in the labs.

Sela hadn't talked with Sans about her past or the revelations about her magic after the talk they had had earlier, they had just humored Papyrus as he wanted to show Sela some anime Alphys had introduced to him and he so adored. Sela really had to reel in her initial reactions to the god-awfull plot, not that great voice acting and less than appealing animation in the series Papyrus so lovingly called a masterpiece. She could see Sans shared her opinion on that as his whole face was strained and his eyelights dull for the entire evening.

Despite her efforts to follow the stories portrayed on the screen she was constantly being pulled into herself, like there was a black hole inside her. It was hard to keep up the appearances but it was also something she was pretty used to, so it came like a second nature to pretend being alright. After Papyrus started to yawn and fidget, Sans called it a evening and went to tuck his brother in. It was insanely cute, but also a relief for Sela. She fished for a pack of cigarettes from her purse that Sans had so graciously fetched from her house and slipped silently to the backyard to enjoy the unhealthy smoke.

The sky was rolling with thick, looming clouds that promised rain or maybe even thunder. The weather had been very warm for the whole week and with the slightly chilly wind picking up around the peak of the mountain Sela was sure there was going to be a storm. Somehow it felt fitting, even when it did bring forth a nervous shiver from deep inside her.

Her mood did not get much better with the smoke. The forest that circled the mountainside was waving in the gusts of wind and when the sound of the whispering leafs would have soothed Sela before, they now made her gut ache. Everything looked so ominous in the darkness, the once familiar noises of the trees creaking and snapping transforming to something threatening.

Suddenly something hard fell on her shoulder, making her jump ridicilously high, a shrill squeek slipping from her mouth. The but of the cigarette flew from her hand.

”Sorry, didn't mean ta frighten' ya.” 

Sans. Of course. Who else would sneak up on her, Sela huffed with irritation and relief simultaneously. His sneaking skills would someday be the death of her.

”Jesus christ on a three-wheeler, you have to stop doing that. One day I'm just going to have a heart-attack and keel over.” 

Somehow the skeleton managed to not even look remotely remorseful. He clearly enjoyd what he did a bit too much. He shrugged nonchalantly.

”I know people don't just die from a small scare.”

”People with weak hearts do.” Sela frowned.

”Ya don't have a weak heart.”

Sela just shot him a unimpressed look, lighting another cig. No matter how annoying Sans could be when he was being like this it still made her feel a bit better. The shadows in the forest didn't seem so scary, the low clouds little less claustrophobic. 

”Can't imagine those improving the health of your heart tho.” He nodded towards the litt cigarette, plucking one from her pack and lighting it with her lighter. Sela's eyebrows shot up, she had not seen him smoke before and for a second she pondered how that would work, up until she could see the smoke trailing just from his mouth, oddly enough. 

”Why are you then smoking one? Isn't it a bit silly lecturing me about the risks.” 

”I don't have lungs. Or veins. Or a heart. It won't affect me like you people.” 

That made sense, in a way. ”Then why are you even smoking one, how does that even work?”

Sans had a smug smile plastered across his face. Something mischievous glinting in his eyesockets.  
”Well ya seen me. Magic. If I need a part, I make it.”

Sela snapped her eyes to the forest, face turning bright red. Of course she had walked right into that. The low chuckle that erupted from the skeleton beside her was a pretty good confirmation. She really didn't know what to think about him and his behavior. Was he flirting with her? What were his intentions? Or was it just a simple joke. Maybe he enjoyed making people flustered as much as he enjoyed scaring people.

Everything just felt too much these days, Sela decided, suddenly dead tired. She just hummed an affirmation for him, trying to concentrate on the cigarette. She couldn't wait to get to sleep and put all of this from her mind for a while, if she was lucky. 

”Alright, I'm heading to bed.” She snuffed the cigarette and turned to head inside, Sans on her heels.

”Ya need company?”

”I..” Sela turned her head to see his concerned expression. ”I think I'd like some time for myself, to be honest.” She muttered timidly. Usually it wasn't hard to take space for herself, but as she had been so close with him the last days she felt unusually embarrassed to ask for some alonetime. 

”Ya think it's a good idea?” 

She sighed and stopped at the door of the guest bedroom. It wasn't surprising he was being concerned. After all there was a definite danger just waiting to jump her.

”No, but I need it.” 

Sans seemed to think for a long moment. ”Well I could make a trap.”

”A trap? Are you serious? What kind of a trap are we talking about?”

”Just a simple strand across the doorway with something that'll make a noise if ya go for another sleepwalk.”

It sounded ridicilous but she might as well go along with it and humor him. At least she would have the room for herself and he could sleep easier. 

”Fine.”

Sela closed the door and slinked to the bed, shedding her clothes to the chair next to it. Sliding between the covers she breathed with content. Finally. She could hear Sans setting his trap on the other side of the door and the wind howling outside, a starting pitter patter of rain washing the roof and the window in the room. The darkness inside the room was soothing, despite the odd sensation of something pulsing in her. Even if she tried to concentrate on it, it slipped away, partly because she was so exhausted. Sela pushed all the thoughts from her head, letting the sleep claim her.

 

Sans eyed the rather flimsy trap he had hurriedly crafted. It was good enough, he supposed. It would make a noise if Sela went to wander off and that should be enough to alarm him. His eyelights rose to the door, a knot of uncertainty twisting in his proverbial gut. Sela had been acting really odd the whole night, like she was trying to hide something. Pretending.

He could see someone acting from miles away, since he was so intimately familiar with the same problem. He wanted to ask Sela but he would respect her wish to have some time to herself, he couldn't even imagine what this day had felt like. Not that it hadn't be a damned rollercoaster even for him. Still, something was nagging at his thoughts.

Sans had expected her to ask him to watch over her sleep. The poor woman had been through so much and it was evident she was still as afraid as ever and still.. She had wanted to be alone. He really wished his instincts were just acting up and nothing was wrong. Well, more wrong than they already were. 

Pulling the covers on him Sans hoped he would fall asleep fast but after an hour of tossing and turning and trying to slip into sleep that kept eluding him, he was pretty sure he wouldn't catch any sleep this night. The wind was picking up again and washing the rain hard to his window, making him nervous. Even after all these months, it was hard getting used to the constant changes in weather. At least the trap infront of Sela's room hadn't gone off, which was good. Hopefully she was sleeping soundly.

Inevitably his thoughts trailed to Sela's magic. Sans really didn't know if to be either impressed or alarmed that he had not sensed any of it on his own before the soulenergy reader. He suspected her magic might be stronger than he had initially thought if she was able to keep her soulbarrier going for this long, without being constantly incredibly drained. Not that he was an expert on human magic.

Most of the humans that had fallen down had not had any especially strong magic in them, beside Frisk, so he never had had the chance to study it. Everything he had learned had been pretty much warnings to keep away from humans that had magic, which he didn't question that much. After all it had been human mages that had erected the barrier that had kept all of the monster kind under Ebott for hundreds of years. Monsters had been pretty biased of human magic for a long time.

Besides, it would be impossible to measure her strenght if her magic was flowing into the barrier that negated any magic from piercing it. If Gaster wouldn't have been surprised of the barrier himself Sans would have deduced that his ”father” wanted something from Sela because of her magic. There were just too many things left in shadows to see the whole picture yet and it was bugging him so much. And from the readings in Sela's house Gaster had gained alot of power, which in turn made it even more doubtful that he needed anything from her. 

With an angry grunt Sans turned yet again in his sheets, pushing his skull into the pillow, annoyed of the rambling thoughts in his skull. He wished he would have been welcomed to Sela's bed. For a reason he could not comprehend he had slept so well, the human tucked against his bones. Now he just felt lonely and miserable and painfully awake. Sela had grown on him more than he cared to even understand. It just had happened and now there was nothing he could do about it.

He was ashamed to admit he wished she would want him to keep her company the next night. It was incredibly selfish, he knew that. He should be more than happy to give her all the space she felt she needed and not pine after some peace for himself.


	24. Never Give Up (R-ish)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long pause! Been dealing with a very frustrating bout of depression and uncreative time. But I'm back! I love all of you who read this garbage and hopefully I will one day improve enough to deem myself even mediocre, heh. Oh and sorry for any previous, present and future spelling errors. There are always bound to be some in there, despite my eagle-eyed scanning for them *coughs*. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this rated-ish (yes, you read right, ish) chapter. I will try my damnest to push out the next one this same week. And remember, I eat comments for breakfast and dinner.

 

No matter how hard she tried, sleep did not come to claim her, after all.  
Sela listened to the growing storm rolling in from the mountains and the wind battering the walls and the roof. She tried hard to concentrate on the noises, trying to get them to lull her into slumber but it just didn't work. Sela wondered if Sans was sleeping alright.

It had been incredibly hard to ask for some time alone. Sela was ashamed to admit to herself, but she feared that maybe Sans wanted something more than to just keep vigil over her sleep. Although she remembered everything that had happened in the labs, she was strangely detached from all of it. The sudden burst of heat ruling over her without mercy was the most probable reason for it, she supposed and she wasn't sure she was ready to recieve any further attention from Sans.

It made her heart ache dully in her chest that she was this ..damaged. What good would she ever bring to any of the monsters life? Even her own family had pretty much abandoned her.

Sela rolled to her side, hugging the blanket to her with a mournful sigh. The desolate sensation inside her was only increasing and she fought hard against the sob she felt just on top of her lips, trying to slither out. If she would surrender to it, she might never be able to stop, so she held on as hard as she could. The pressure inside her ribcage wouldn't budge.

The treathening tears trying to well up turned slowly into a painful feeling surging throughout her body, like a full-blown panic attack pushing her over the edge into despair. Sela refused, she didn't want this. She needed air, the room suddenly feeling way too small and the roof pushing on her. Something was happening and she didn't want to stay and see what it was. 

She pushed herself up and ripped some clothes on her in a hurry to just leave. Luckily she remembered Sans's trap, avoiding springing it with care, tip-toeing in the dark to the front door. She just needed a small walk. Something to distract her mind from the painful clench in her heart. 

As she silently stepped outside to the rain and wind lashing the yard Sela could feel the weight lifting from her soul, like her whole body would have fallen asleep and was starting to wake up. Blood was rushing to her veins, leaving her almost giddy, her addled mind filled with a relieved satisfaction. She breathed deep, letting the rain cascade down her face and body. It felt like cool fingers stroking her and soothing her. 

It didn't even cross her mind that she was really putting herself into danger by doing this, she was completely oblivious to the fact. Breathing was easier, feeling was easier and everything just felt right. A blissful smile crossed her lips, a faint laugh falling from her to the wind. Her soul pounded with a pressing need to just move, to walk, to feel the storm. To be free.

Sela stepped forth, starting to wander down the road, her mind completely blank. The wind whipped her hair around and soon it was soaked, clinging to her face and neck but it didn't bother her, nor did the clothes becoming soaked, as well. Her eyes were hazy and unfocused as she walked into the stormy night.

 

A wicked smile spread across Gasters face as he felt her succumb to his suggestion to leave the brothers' dwelling. The longer Sela had his mark and magic coursing through her, the easier it seemed to tap into her. The only thing that kept baffling him, was that she didn't let up on the barrier at all, even with his suggestion. There had to be something else to do about it then. 

Gaster teleported into the forest, storm raging now full force around the region. He directed his intention to the woman carefully, beckoning her to venture forth to the trees that hid him. He wasn't sure yet how deep her state was and he was careful not to alarm her out of it by appearing too soon. As much as he did enjoy hunting someone down, it wasn't his objective this time around. He needed to test her.

With little to almost no hesitation at all she turned to him, her vacant eyes heavily lidded as she started to wander towards his hiding place. Gaster could pick up on her delicate scent that was amplified by the rain and brought to him, with the gales of wind brushing the trees around him. Her scent was even more prominent to him, than the scents of the forest. A low chuckle wormed its way from his chest the closer she got. 

There was a underlying alarm going off somewhere in her mind, but his grasp on her was too powerful for her to really listen to her senses. They might have not been as keen as Gasters, but humans did possess some semblance of primitive ability to sense danger ahead. 

The bouts of heat that Sela had suffered through had worn down her natural resistance to his magic. It was all planned out by him, and seeing it was working like a charm made Gaster very satisfied of his abilities. The years in the void had not totally ruined him.

As soon as Sela was surrounded by the restless trees and bushes in the forest, Gaster moved behind her, laying his cold hand on her shoulder. There was a light tremor that worked through her muscles, like she was remembering something but as he turned her, she did not even flinch. Sela looked like she was almost asleep, swaying lightly on her feet, her face downcast.

 _ **”Good girl. Now, would you look to my eyes.”**_ A satisfied smirk splayed across his mouth, turning his visage devilish from his normally rather relaxed expression.

Sela slowly turned her face to him, her eyes tired and her stare somewhere far, even if she did as he told her to. Gaster could feel her mind trying to focus, trying to escape the bonds he had laid, but as he caressed her face with mock tenderness, her mind soothed and her heartrate slowed back down.

He chuckled, slithering his free hand to the womans sternum, gauging her willingness to let him pull free her obscured soul. She drew a shivering breath, her lips wet from the heavy rainfall and pale from the fast escaping bodywarmth. After a few baited seconds her soul slipped free, hovering as the familiar clouded sphere infront of Gasters damaged palm.

 _ **”Hmm. Still as strong as ever, I see.”**_ He mused, as he narrowed his glowing eyes at the soul. He slowly closed his large hand on the sphere, experimenting on how much pressure he could aply without any action from the human woman shivering infront of him. She jolted and a pained gasp rose from her when his fingers touched the mist gingerly.

He could feel her mind buzzing with alarm beneath the spell he had put her under. It almost tickled his magic, scraping across his will with growing alacrity. Sela's eyes widened as she started to fight herself to her senses. With intriqued amusement Gaster let her fight to the surface and realize what was happening.

Her highpitched scream drowned into the stormy winds whipping around them.

 _ **”Now, now darling. No one will hear you no matter how hard you wail.”**_ His smile was absolutely vicious, the sharp teeth flashing white in a sudden flicker of thunderbolt lighting up the sky. The ripping roar of it was bursting all around them mere seconds after his words. The storm was right over them.

 

Terror gripped Sela's whole body like a vice, paralyzing her to her feet. The horror of the monster infront of her surged through her mind that worked fast now, like time would have slowed down earlier, making her mind sluggish and senseless. What the fuck was she doing here? What had happened? Her skin crawled with the double sensations of soaked and icy, searing hot with panic and pain.

Her eyes snapped to her soul, nestled into Gasters hand which he closed with a twitch and a malicious grin. Sela could feel the pressure, the burning sensation pulsating through her very being from his sudden action and she groaned. She tried to shy away from his touch still lingering on her cheek, but the monster was fast, his hand slipping around the back of her neck, pinching her with enough force to elicited a panicked screetch from her.

_**”Tsk tsk, carefully now. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious soul, would you?”** _

His voice was dark and low, filled with a terrible promise and Sela clenched her fists into balls so hard her nails bit into the soft flesh of her palms painfully. The physical jolt of sharp pain woke her even more, her mind screaming for help. Who would hear? She was not telepathic but for all it was worth she prayed someone would sense her fear.

Gaster seemed to sense her desperate call for help inside her mind and smiled almost lovingly, snagging her towards him so suddenly she couldn't deny the pull. Her hands shot up, bracing for an impact and smacking against his broad and stone hard chest as she stumbled forth. 

_**”Your fear is like the finest silk for my senses, dear. But mark my words, I will make you submit to me. My sorry excuse for a son can not help you, nor the other creatures that might harbor some semblance of worry for you.”**_

His poisoneous words hit right to the target, to her low selfesteem trying to convince her of her own unimportance to the world and Sela could feel the tears rolling down her face with the rain. She felt cold down to her core, shivering with the emptiness that seemed to have a permanent place in her psyche. 

”Let me go.” Her whisper was silent and flat, all emotions bled out of the plea. Gasters hand that held her neck tangled into her hair, tilting her head upwards. His eyes, burning bright violet in the darkness locked into hers.

_**”You can't imagine you would matter much to them. Everyone has failed you in the past and left you desolate. I will never let you go.”** _

Her heart ached, her insecurity telling her that what he was telling her, was true. She didn't matter. She was no one. She had no one. All she had was this nightmare creature holding her with fear and terror. But despite everything something in her refused with a burning passion. 

”I would rather be dead.” Her mouth worked, desperation and loneliness turning into bitter anger at his cruel words, at her own cruel faith, the shit cards life had dealt her and she sneered to his face growling like an animal and trying to push herself off of his chest. The hard flesh of his body rumbled with laughter at her struggling.

 _ **”Oh kitten, you may claw and hiss and fight but there is simply nothing you could harm me with. Like you were given to me, you will give to me, no matter if you condone it or not.”**_ His eyes were pulsating like beacons with mirth and his grip on her hair was getting tighter. 

”No! I'm not yours! I'm no ones! No one gave me to you, you sick bastard!” Sela screamed, anger boiling inside her with vengeance. She didn't care of the danger, she would fight until she died. He had already managed to take so much from her, she did not have anything else to give and she wouldn't give shit to this monster.

_**”That is where you are wrong, Sela Blair. Your ward haggled you off for services from me. I am merely claiming what is mine after so many years. Your life has been traded for me, with blood that sealed the deal. There is nothing you can do to dispute this.”** _

Gasters words drove cold dread into her mind and heart. Her ward? A hazy image of her uncle Ben flashed across her thoughts and a heavy, cold stone of disappointment dropped to her gut. Had Ben traded her off to this.. creature? Why would he have done something like that and how could he have? Outrage bubbled in her, she ground her teeth together with anger. Had her father known his brother was such a lowlife to barter a child from his own family to this.. this.. demon?

 _ **”I see the truth hurts, my dear. As depraved as you might view me, I can assure you the man behind your troubles did not pass with ease.”**_ Gaster chuckled, tightening his grip on her soul this time, the pain that surged through her made her writhe involuntary, her hands gripping the black cloth he was clad in. An image of her uncle bloomed into her mind, a shadowy creature ripping his soul from his body and tearing it into pieces with ferocity. The last image of Bens eyes, scleras filled to the brim with blood, terror clear on his twisted face. Sela shuddered.

Even the knowledge that the reason why Ben had died had been his incredibly cruel transgression and that he had gotten what he probably deserved, did nothing to ease Sela's rage and disappointment. She was still irrevocably left with the consiquences of his actions no matter what, left with this monster holding her and telling her to submit. 

”I don't care you fucking monster! You can't own a person or sell a person for anything! Let. Me. Go!” She pounded her fists to his chest as he laughed with her feeble attempts and impotent hatred.

 _ **”Oh you would be surprised.. There are old laws of blood and magic that you humans may have mostly abandoned but it does not make them any less binding.”**_

Sela was getting tired of his conceited show of superiority over her and her own faith, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even make him flinch, it was all so futile. But what was there if she gave up? 

Gaster seemed to be watching the emotions play across her face with rapt interest, his magic around them a heavy pounding in her temples. With a smug grin he pushed a single clawed digit into the mist around her soul, Sela's whole body convulsing with the sharp pain and she ceased her struggle for a moment. She was holding her breath as he continued, mind panicking and her heart pounding like a caged bird inside her with the terrible feeling. She had never been struck with a knife but she knew this is what it would feel like. Something was pulling in her core, like a rubber band being stretched far too far, her muscles tensing and a shrill cry spilling from her throath into the storm.

 _ **”Now, I think it is time to replenish my mark upon you. Your mind is stronger than I first calculated, despite your flagrant.. defects. You did come to far too soon to my liking, after all. Maybe you will provide more challenge than I first anticipated.”**_ Gaster was musing clearly to himself, his eyes flicking from Sela's face to her soul and body with somewhat interested look in them. 

Sela's eyes widened and she started to fight against him with renewed strenght. She did not want him to do anything to her, much less to replenish any mark if her mind was interpretting his words right. Gaster merely smirked wider, if that was even possible and pushed his claw even further to the mist around her soul, the sphere trembling violently in his grasp.

The pain that followed was excruciating, exploding in her every cell, pulling her apart from the very seams of her being. Sela couldn't even scream, her face contorting with the intensity. She felt her whole conscious mind halting and starting to black out.

 

Gaster held Sela tight as her body fell limp in his arms. He still couldn't penetrate the barrier, but he felt great satisfaction that he was able to deal so much anguish with his probing. The knowledge that she was the power behind it was absolutely fascinating to him. 

It wasn't a small feat to be able to deny him access and to withstand this much pain without letting the guard down even a little. He felt his greed pulling inside him, wanting to test more, to see what all he could do to her via the strain on her barrier. Had it not been herself powering it, she might have not felt anything when subjected to probing, which was immeasurably interesting. 

Now he had much more pressing issues to deal with tho. The scent of her skin was permeating the air around them so heavily he had increasing difficulty to keep himself in check. He would not wait for longer to take what he wanted. She was his possession to do as he best saw fit and he intended to do just what he had promised her. 

With her rendered defenceless against him for the moment, he let her soul slip back inside her chest as he let her fall to the muddy and rain saturated ground in a heap. He mused for a moment if dealing with the woman in fighting spirit would be more enjoyable, but he ultimately decided against it. He would have time to deal with her with every imaginable condition he deemed worth to explore later. 

Gaster watched her helpless in the ground for a moment, licking his teeth with his tongue, anticipation pulsing heavy in his flesh. He was now in much, much better control of his new body, he was sure he would enjoy this marking thoroughly and with a growl he kneeled to the ground. 

Easily he turned Sela's smaller body around on her stomach, pulling her loosefitting pants from her legs. The fabric obscuring her pale skin tore easily with his clawlike nails, turning to useless shreads. He heard her faint gasp but didn't pay it much heed. It was inconsiquental to him if she would be awake sooner or later.

He was only marginally aware that she was clawing the soddy ground with her fingers as he pulled her towards him, her legs stretched that he could fit himself between them. Gaster kneaded her thighs with a heated hum, feeling her softness and warmth with twisted pleasure. His whole body tensed in anticipation, his erection straining his trousers.

 

Sela came to pretty fast after the monster pretty much ripped her pants of her, the cold and wet shedding any lasting befuddlement from her mind. She knew what he intended to do and she wanted none of it. She had to try and fight, even if it was in vain. 

Gathering all her strenght left Sela let out a breath of resignation. She had no doubt this monster could induce the utmost horrific pain she could come up on the top of her head but there wasn't much room to back down without even trying. If he would end up killing her, she would finally be free at least. 

She didn't want to ponder on where she managed to summon this sudden fighting spirit, she just embraced it fully. Sela had been more or less a victim all her life, she had had her fill of that misery, no more, her mind was screaming. With a determined huff she drew back her right leg and kicked angrily at Gaster. He had not anticipated such an action and she got him well in his lower stomach, the surprised hiss of his hot breath rolling over her backside.

As fast as she tried to be, scrambling for a hold on the ground to pull herself away, he recovered from the hit fast. Suddenly Sela felt a molten pain explode on her thighs and she screamed. 

_**”Didn't I say that fighting would be futile, my dear. Now, face the consiquences.”** _

Sela sobbed in panic, trying to trash around, but the pain was so potent her spine was curving, pulling her chest off the ground. She swiveled her head to the demon, trying to get a glimpse of what the hell he was doing and in the darkness she could make out his white hands staining in her blood that ran dark from her legs. He had fucking dug his claws into her flesh like an animal!

Even with the searing sensation rippling through her, Sela tried to find something.. anything to fight against him. With a dumb luck her fingers snagged on a stone in the mud and she pried it from the ground, heaving it towards the monster huffing at her with exitement in his burning eyes. He dodged the messily aimed missile with ease, even laughing at her like he was trying to taunt her to do her worst. 

Hatred was making everything so clear in her eyes, dulling even the pain as Sela twisted against Gaster. Her screames ringed to the forest, drowning to the rolling thunder that was picking up speed, flashing the whole scene with bright bursts of light. A lightning bolt hit somewhere near in the trees, Sela could feel the tremors travel in the earth below her. She had a moment to feel disappointed that it had not hit them instead, when the air grew even more heavy, Gasters magic flaring to life at her back. 

Something grabbed her ankles and wrists so viciously she cried out from the grip. She had made a grave mistake and forgotten his ability to summon those bony, disembodied hands. They were effectively stopping her from flailing her limbs and she bit her teeth together in frustration. This couldn't be the end of it. Sela heard Gasters ridiculing snicker as he bent to push his cheek against hers from behind her.

_**”You couldn't have thought that you could actually stop me, did you now? Be thruthful, you are helpless against my strenght.”** _

”I don't care you asshole. I'll never be yours.” Sela growled and spat, despite her growing fear. She could feel Gasters chest heaving with amused chuckles, driving her tighter against the ground.

 _ **”Oh you are absolutely entertaining in your feeble attempts to deter me. It does not work so easily, Sela.”**_

She could feel him pushing his hard member to her backside as a confirmation and heavy dread welled up in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't suffer through another act of such vile violence from him. 

Sela started up the trashing around again, even if it was useless. She wouldn't let him think that she wanted any of this again. 

Gaster huffed and rose to his knees, pushing his hand to her lower back, clearly freeing himself from his trousers. Sela could feel his claws digging into her skin and the heat of his member against her exposed slit. She hissed and spat and groaned, trying hard to squirm away from it but he held her too strong, there was nothing she could do than to cry out when he started to push inside her, stretching her walls painfully. It wasn't any easier this time around, he was way too much and she could not deny his assault to her core. 

With a victorious snarl he bucked vicilously, spearing her on his lenght and Sela's face twisted with agony. She was less prepared this time, the pain far worse. Her body tensed, sending new waves of pain from the wounds in her haunches and they seemed to travel straight to the pit of her stomach, into her spasming insides. 

She could hear his moan as she tensed around him and it made her heart pang with irritation that she was causing him such blatant pleasure. Sela wanted to loose her conciousness but it was impossible, she was too cold and too much in pain, although not clearly enough if she was this awake for this torture. 

Just as he started up an unforgiving pace that made Sela's head reel and her a deep ache form in her stomach a incredibly loud crack of thunder split the whole reality followed by a frightfull creaking that turned quickly into a reverberating rumble. The dark in the forest fell deeper and deeper with a cacophony of noise erupting around them and something crashed hard on them both.

Silence followed.


	25. Out From Under

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY a new chapter - wow - it is a bit shorter tho, so sorry about that and the long wait. Been busy with other things and my depression has been holding me back so much. I hope I'll get back into the grind with one chapter a week, but if it takes longer, then it will. I'm not stopping so no worries about that one.  
> I love you all!

 

It was so cold. So cold her whole body was shivering violently. Why was everything so wet and dark? She was so cold the pain didn't register at all first. There was a underlying feeling of urgency, like something was wrong and that she needed to do something but she couldn't grasp it fully.

Sela's fingers dug into the chilly mud beneath her. Why was she outside? There was heavy rainfall beating down on her, something was obscuring her vision as she tried to open her eyes. Leafs. There were wet leafs everywhere, sticking to her skin. The throbbing pain came next, slowly burning its way to the forefront of her sensations. Her legs were burning.

After that it didn't take long for the memories to surge forth and Sela gasped. She couldn't feel Gaster inside her, violating her. Had he left her alone? No.. that wasn't it. She scrambled desperately around and pushed some of the leafs from her face, she was still pinned to the ground, now from a very different force.

She almost screamed with relief, realising that a tree, a fucking tree had fallen on them, cut down by almost divinely placed lightningstrike. Something was weighing her down to the ground, but it wasn't as bad as the pain from Gasters slashes on her thighs, so he must have taken the brunt of the falling tree. 

Sela deduced fast that he must have lost his consciousness for the timebeing, since his summoned hands had disappeared and he wasn't saying anything. She didn't know if he was dead, god, she wished he was, but she felt it would have been way too easy. This was her chance to get away, in any case! 

She started to really dig her hands into the ground, trying to pull forward, out from under the mess. She could now percieve his massive, warm body on top of her legs, but it didn't seem that there was much added weight from the branches. Slowly but surely she was crawling forward, freeing herself from the tangle. Sela was careful not to jostle Gaster too much, fearing he might wake up. God she wished the tree had split his skull. 

The pain in her legs was muted by her determined progress and with a huff she gripped everything and anything infront of her to further her crawling pace. With a final push she felt her legs slide free from under the monster, the slick ground actually helping with the last part. Sela slithered forward in the ground, careful to asses her strenght.

Turning her head she took a look at the mess behind her. The tree wasn't that massive, but it must have hit him pretty hard. She could see some glimpses of his white skin inbetween the swaying branches and leafs. 

Her breathing was shaky and the pain was now setting in with vengeance, the cold rain washing the wounds and making them sear horribly. Sela tried to push herself up, scrambling for purchase in the mud. She had a hard time getting up, her head pounding and her limbs trembling with cold-induced shivers, but she had to get away no matter what. She couldn't care if her legs were broken, she would crawl, damn it.

Luckily the damage wasn't that bad, as she finally got on all fours, making her way to another tree to get herself up against its trunk. It was painful, but after few moments the cold was helping, numbing her whole body. As she leaned against the tree she watched the fallen tree for any signs that Gaster might be waking up. Despite the still raging storm, it was dead quiet to her. She shouldn't linger tho, Sela had no way to know what state Gaster was actually in. Best scenario he was dead as a doornail and worst case, he was only laying in wait, waiting for her to bolt so he could give chase. 

Sela didn't want to think about it too much. She pushed herself from the support and ambled towards the darkness around her. Giving very little thought to the fact that she had no idea where she was, aside from it being a forested area, Sela limped away from Gaster. The most important thing was to get away. As far away as she could manage.

There were no guiding lights that she could see, all that she saw was the pervasive darkness, smudged-out figures of trees and bushes swaying every which way in the wind, rain cascading to her eyes not helping the situation at all. And the longer she kept going, the more the movements around her started to get to her, making her heart stutter with dread inside her chest. Was Gaster up already? Was he behind her? Was this all for naught?

Fear became a palpable thing, a constant companion, making Sela so skitterish, she was starting to fall over, getting knocked over by branches, roots tripping her to the mud. Everything looked so ominous, looming over her, violet, burning eyes watching her from the dark, mocking her. Her lungs were burning with effort, her eyes stinging with water and every breath she took sounded too loud. She didn't even feel the blood running down her legs from her wounds.

The forest seemed immeasurable, never ending. Everywhere she turned her eyes, her sight fell on more darkness, trees and the foliage in the ground. Where the hell was she? Swiveling around, eyes trying to descipher what she was seeing, she wound her arms around another treetrunk. She had no way knowing if she was actually running towards Gaster or not, the way she had been zig-zagging in the dark out of panic. 

Cursing under her breath she pushed herself forward again, stopping would not certainly help anything. She had to keep going until she found something she could regocnize. 

She kept trudging forth, no longer caring about the possibility of being utterly lost, keeping single-mindedly escaping what she thought would be certain death. Suddenly she halted again. There was something up ahead. She could make out a small glimpse of light, flickering in-between the trees. With renewed vigor she pushed herself to that light, hoping it was someone who could actually help her, that she was not just seeing things.

The light kept getting bigger and stronger, Sela almost cried from relief and stumbling forward she didn't care that the low hanging branches kept snagging at her exposed skin. She was far too cold and exhausted to mind. Finally she scrambled through some bushes, seeing the source of the beckoning light without any obstruction. 

It was not a light that she had anticipated at all. She could see the form of the man, clad in heavy raingear, standing infront of a two storied building, fixing something to the wall. Grillby. Out of everything she had thought she might see he was the last one she had imagined. With a breathy giggle, bordering disturbing, Sela stumbled towards him, not realising there was a considerable drop from the edge of the forest to the road and the buildings lot. 

Sela fell hard, an alarmed wail erupting from her as she slid from the top, loose stones rolling with her. Grillby turned towards the sudden ruckus, his flames flickering higher with surprise and his subtle eyelights widening in shock.

 

Grillby almost took a double-take. Almost. Then he realised he needed to help the human falling and skidding down the slope. He rushed forward, reaching the heap that crumbled to the ground. As fast as he touched the human he regodnized her. It was Sela? He did take a double-take over her form, hauling her up to his arms. 

The woman was half-naked, covered in scrapes and scratches, bruises and blood. Under the mud and other depris she was deathly pale, her eyes wild, although she looked ready to pass out any moment. Her eyes focused on his for a moment and a whisper passed her blueish lips.

”..help me.”

Then her eyes closed and she went limp in his arms. Although she must have been chilled to the bone, she wasn't even shivering. What the hell had happened to her? Grillby held her close to his chest, turning towards the building he had been working on, but a subtle rustling behind him in the forest catched his attention. There was something in the forest.

Grillby turned, eyelights narrowing. He could _feel_ the malice suddenly in the air, the angry, low droning of power surging, testing his magic. 

There, in the shadows was someone standing, swaying lightly. He could sense the hatred and energy and something was awfully wrong with it. It was familiar, but it was so wrong. Grillby gasped under his breath. Violet eyelights pulsed from the form, illuminating the white face for only a moment, but he recodnized it alright. How could it be, tho? He was dead, wasn't he? Yet, there he was standing, watching him with intensity that was troubling. Watching the human in his arms. 

Grillbys arms tightened protectively around Sela. She had been running from Gaster? What the hell was going on? Had he attacked her so viciously? Gaster was one of the monster that had been alive before being sent under the mountain, he had fought in the war with Grillby and he knew him as intimately as a fellow fighter only could. The monster had always been particularly cruel and uncaring, but this figure up above in the ridge was something worse. 

The power that was humming in the air was alarming and making Grillbys soul swell and constrict in wait of a battle, but he didn't do anything. It was like he was calculating something in that brilliantly sharp mind of his and that did not allieviate Grillbys concern at all. His power he was emitting felt overpowering but still he didn't attack, there was only the feel of the possibility. 

As suddenly as he had appeared in the edge of the forest, he had disappeared and so did the thrum of power, leaving Grillbys head realing. What had just happened? A whimper from his lap made his attention snap back to Sela and he hurried inside with her. He needed to warm her up immeadiately and call Sans. Something very odd was going on and he needed to know what the hell it was.


	26. A Fleeting Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JFC that was one long hiatus that I went into without a warning.. so sorry about that! I feel like utter shit because of that.. but still, I wasn't ready to give in! I will try my very best to update once in a week or two until the story is done.

 

A droning, annoying noice woke him up from a fitfull sleep, pulling at his consciousness strings with urgency. The noice had a very demanding tone to it, making it all the harder to ignore. Sans snapped awake and grabbed his phone, blue hue waving nervously around his bones. His magic was acting up although he didn't know why.  
_”Sans?”_ It was Grillby, his ethereal voice was wavering through the speaker, he sounded alarmed and scared, something that Sans didn't think he had ever heard.  
”Yeah? It's kinda late.. something wrong?”  
_”..Yes. I found Sela outside.. someone had attacked her. What the hell is going on here?”_  
Grillbys words left Sans utterly cold, his magic surged like a lightning to the room, a bunch of nicknacks flying around making a clatter. 

He didn't even think, he just acted, the phone dropping from his hands to the floor as he folded into the void with a vehement curse under his breath and mere few seconds later he appeared with a unusually loud pop to Grillbys livingroom, making the fire elementals flames flare up in alarm.  
_”By stars, Sans.. a warning would have been appreciated.”_  
”There wasn't time for that.” Sans ground out roughly, his eyelights searching around the room restlessly. He found Sela on the couch, wrapped tightly in several blankets that had clearly been doused in a pinch of warming fire magic. Despite the effort, she was white as a ghost, her hair in a tangle, some strands had plastered against her forehead. 

”She's pale as death!” Sans grabbed her, trying to feel her heartbeat through the blankets. The silence that surrounded her was disturbing.  
_”Sans.. what is going on.. She's doing really poorly.. I think we need to call someone to heal her.”_  
Sans was franticly feeling her face, checking her vitals as best as he could, effectively ignoring Grillby. 

Grillbys flames flared again, in clear annoyance and he huffed.  
_”Sans. Why is Gaster after her?”_  
That seemed to rouse the skeleton, his head snapping towards Grillby. His eye was burning brightly with a eerie blue and yellow flame. The expression on his face was absolutely murderous.  
”Did you see him?” Sans asked with a growl that rattled his bones menacingly. Grillby had never seen him this angry and he took a step back from him with caution, rising his hands in placating manner.  
_”I did.. I was sure he was going to attack me but then he just disappeared. Sans.. I though he was dead, how is it possible he is here?”_  
”Fuck. We don't know.. he just.. kinda appeared. I don't understand any more than that.” Sans sounded absolutely exhausted and terrified. Grillby could only imagine why. He had known Gaster as a ruthless and cold monster, capable of things that no other monster probably was and after listening to Sans's drunk confessions for years he knew exactly why Gaster had suddenly disappeared. He had never been able to really fault Sans for that. 

But now? Gaster was back, without any explanation. Grillby didn't know what to make of it.  
_”Why is he after Sela? This makes no sense at all.”_ He squatted next to Sans, who was still holding Sela's unmoving form. He was trying to rub some warmth back into her limbs gently, but her face soon shifted into a pained expression and Sans just held her. There were several drops of sweat gliding down his skull.

”I don't know. The bastard seems to think she is his for some forsaken reason and I can't seem to find out why. He's been targeting her with even more malice than I thought..” Sans sighed, defeat apparent in his voice. 

A breathy whine interrupted Sans and he turned to Sela. She was gasping for breath, trying to flail inside the blankets but her eyes remained closed. She looked absolutely terrible, even worse now, her skin seemed paper thin, showing her veins as blue pathways on her cheeks.  
_”She has alot of lacerations from running through the woods.. some were made by Gaster I think. She has lost alot of blood. We need to call someone.”_ Grillby pulled out his phone again, tapping at the device.

”I don't know if there's any time for that..” Sans gulped down a surge of magic – he could feel her pulse slowing down. She was going into a cardiac arrest and he had no idea what to do, fear gripping his soul like a vise. He had some understanding of human anathomy and medical care from his time in Gasters lab but it wasn't the same as being a doctor in such field. Nor did he have any healing magic.

”Shit.. no no no..” He felt absolutely useless, holding her there, hoping it would make any difference, but he was helplessly just watching her die right infront of his eyes. Humans were supposed to be resilient and powerful! He had seen it himself in the underground, why was she fading away like this? Desperation gripped him, blue tears streaming down his face freely. Sela's lips were turning even more blue, her eyelids fluttering wildly as her whole body started to shake. The sounds of Grillby calling someone sounded far away, his attention solely on Sela.

Everything was muted, he wasn't aware of the questions Grillby was trying to ask, or his own pleads for help and for Sela not to give up. Finally her form seemed to give in, going limp in his arms and a last, solitary wisp of breath passed through her cold lips. The silence around them was tangible, something shining brightly under the blankets that were wrapped around Sela. Something shone through them, roughly in the region of her breast. 

With tearstreaked face Sans felt it in his soul before he saw it rise slowly from her body. Her soul, the shining, ethereal globe, flecks of magic shedding from it like large, flat snowflakes. Sans reacted before he could think about what he was doing. He reached his hand, grabbing onto the receding soul, his whole hand exploding with colors, his scream muted by the crackling filling the room.

 

_Everything was white, so white. For a immeasurable time there was nothing, total silence, total nothingness._

_Then.. slowly things were coming out of the vast whiteness, rushing towards him like stars, forcing him to see, forcing him to feel all of the hurt, all of the pain, all of the disappointment and love and happiness and fear. All of it, in a rapid fire of one humans emotions for her whole life. It was so much, too much and Sans wanted to vomit but he couldn't. There was nothing to throw up._

_Then came the secrets, the deepest, darkest and most buried things of the past, the abuse and horror of the small child being fed to the wolves, the shadow in the darkest darkness and he screamed in indignation, how could they, how the hell could they do something like this? He saw his face.. Gasters face and it was twisted beyond belief. The thing in the darkness, it was him, and it was his fault, he had pushed him into the machine, he had doomed him to scatter into the void. He had made it possible. He had not thought Gaster could turn his own demise into something like this.. but Gaster had._

_Then, from the dark abyss of the past, he was pushed to the violence she had endured through Gasters hands, the twisted joy he seemed to take in her suffering, like it was something that invigorated him. Sans cried in shame that he had in a way taken part in all of this, had been influenced so heavily by his fathers magic. The guilt was a heavy stone in his heart. He might have been one of the most powerful monsters in the underground, but he felt utterly weak now, useless._

_Then he was hit with a wave of foreign, but yet so familiar sorrow. A deep depression that threatened to pull him under, that told him it would be okay to give up, let me go, let me slip away. Let. Me. Rest. I. Have. Deserved. This. There. Is. No. More. Please. No. More. …  
…. letmerestletmebeletmegoletmedie Let me die._

_It was so powerful, so tantalizing, it would be so easy. Everything would be solved with a simple action. Don't look. Don't care. Don't ask this of me, don't watch me go under. Just let go of me and I will be gone._

_But that was a lie. Sans almost gave up, almost let go of the energy inside his palms, his fingers almost prying themselves off of her very essence but there was something else there too, slithering under all the much and pain and apathy. There was something potent there too. Sans held on to that with a vengeance, with desperation to pull it up from the mire of depression._

_Every human had a spark of it, a visible red streak of determination and will to live that had not been snuffed out by all the misery. With all of his might Sans lured the trait out, pulling the strands of her being carefully but with elaborate skill that he had honed as the Judge. He could see under the layers, he could see what made a person as they were. Soulmagic was one of his specialty. He could do this._

He emerged from the confrontation with a jolt, sweat was streaming down his bones, mixing with tears and his breathing was ragged. He pushed the concentration of energy and lifeforce back to Sela's body tenderly and as it slipped inside without any resistance. Sans fell flat on the floor, his eyelids closing with a click. 

_”...You did it.”_ Grillbys voice was laced with wonder, Sans cracked his eye open to peer at the man, he was holding Sela's wrist, checking her heartbeat that seemed to have started again. He took a tentative look at her face, she was still pale, but she didn't look dead, or in danger to dying at any moment. 

Even more surprising was the fact that Sans could now see her soul, nested securily in her chest. He could see the color her soul was sporting, beautiful shades of purple shining from her soul in cascades. Sans could sense that her soul wasn't a regular one, now that he could see a glimpse of it, but he didn't have any strenght left to see it more closely now. It might have been ill-advised to pull it out to see now, in any case. It was clear that her soulbarrier had crashed, probably due to practically dying for a moment. 

Sans had no mind to even guess what that would mean but he was sure they would have to investigate the fact later.

_”I called an ambulance for her, she still needs to be taken to a hospital. They will be in here in fifteen minutes.”_ Grillby informed him and he simply nodded, exhausted down to the bone. The thought almost made him giggle, but Sans felt it would have probably evolved fast into a hysteria, so he just laid there, trying to collect himself up. There were so many feelings warring inside him that it made his head swim. Guilt, shame, doubt, victory and pride. He didn't know if he had done the right thing, he wouldn't be sure until he could talk to Sela and apologize.

Soulconfrontation without the others permission was a taboo, something you just didn't do, but still he couldn't feel completely in the wrong. He had saved her life, given her opportunity. Did he really have any place to do that, he wasn't sure. He had just acted, done what he had felt was right, needed even. How Sela would see that, remained to be seen.

 

After the paramedics had stabilized Sela they reluctantly gave Sans permission to ride to the hospital with her, as she had no family to call. Sans didn't care one bit about the nervous glances people were giving him, he understood he wasn't something people had been accustomed to. Grillby had wanted to accompany them also, but the ambulance could only carry one person with the others on board and the elemental had promised to grab Papyrus and get one of the two military persons who stayed on the mountain to drop them there as soon as possible. 

The hospital had called for police when the initial examinations on Sela's injuries had been made. It was very clear to them she had been violated and attacked. The police were a little too interested in monsters in Sans's opinion but there was little to do about that. He and Grillby both were questioned of the events that had lead Sela to this state, but they both had to claim not knowing much about the incident. 

Officially Sans was just a neighbor and a friend, and Grillby had just happened to be the person who Sela had stumbled upon running from the attacker. They both understood why Gaster had to be kept under the wraps – there was nothing that the police could do to him. Besides, Sans had the common sense to wait for Asgore to discuss things, for monsters it would have been a pretty bad situtation to say another monster had attacked her. 

The truce between monsters and men was still shaky at best and an admission that there were violent monsters, even if it was one of them, might have taken a turn that would have spelled trouble for everyone. The situation was complicated and required the Kings ability in politics to navigate through. 

It took several days for Sela to finally come to, she had crashed few times in the between, keeping everyone on their toes. She had lost so much of her blood they had to transfer more to her for her to recover. The lacerations in her legs and many of the other scrapes had required many stitches and the x-ray they had taken had shown a hairfracture in her tibia. Even Sans didn't try to crack a joke about that.  
It took two more days for Sela to want to talk to anyone. 

Sans had tried as soon as she had woken, but she had just closed her eyes, tears forcing their way through her lashes, not saying a word. An irritated nurse had shooed him out of the room after that. Not that he had left still. He had practically slept on a chair outside her room for a week, refusing to go home. The longer the silence went on, the worse Sans felt about what he had done, even with Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys and Toriel telling him he had done right. 

Alphys had wanted to check on her soul as soon as possible but they would have to wait for Sela's permission for that. Besides, the cold and unpersonal hospital felt like a wrong place to discuss such a thing. 

There had been no sightings of Gaster, and that made Sans feel like he was being spied on somehow. He just couldn't feel calm about the fact that that.. monster was on the loose, but no matter how he wracked his brain, he couldn't come up with any place he could be at. Asgore wanted to try to hunt him down for his crimes, but how would they manage that? The asshole seemed to be able to still teleport like old times and all of his old haunts that Sans or Alphys were aware of, had been searched through. They didn't show any sings of being used or that anyone had been in them in decades. 

There had to be someplace else Gaster was hiding in, it made sense he might have had some places hidden from his old disciples. How they would have have been able to hold him was a big questionmark also. Grillbys description of his power, that he had only sensed, was alarming enough.

The only thing that Sans was absolutely certain of, was that this wasn't over.

(End of arc one.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we arrive at the end of the storys first arc.. it's been a ride, but it ain't over, nu-uh.


	27. A Penny For Your Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeaaah.. it was another long-ass time and I'm sorry about that.. BUT now I'm back, and the next chapter is almost done also, so no worries! I'll try my best to continue with a more regular updating.   
> Although I do hate making promises since I'm so crappy about actually keeping them.   
> This is the start of the second arc, so hopefully you'll enjoy!

 

It wasn't easy to just lie in bed, waiting for the doctors to okay her leave. Even the fact that she finally did get a moments respite physically was shadowed by her mind – which didn't want to rest at all.

Sela had been going through such a multitude of feelings lately, that when she got the forced time-out she still got no peace. Besides that, she knew Sans was waiting outside her room, so close that she could almost feel his desperation through the wall. 

On top of all that and the internal hurricane she was being thrown in, the police had been involved. They had done a rapekit on her when she was taken to the hospital. The evidense was clear, she had been violated and the questions that had followed.. Sela didn't know what to say. What could she say?

”Well there's this horrible creature that was once a monster, but was killed, after me and no one knows why. No, I don't know how to find him. No he's not a monster exactly. No, I don't know what he is. No, the monsters are not dangerous. No, I can't be sure of it.” 

So she didn't say anything. She wasn't stupid. The way the detectives that had asked a bunch of questions from her and apparently from the monster themselves had made their stance pretty damn clear from the get-go. They didn't trust these new, weird creatures one bit. As far as they were concerned, they had something to do with her injuries.

Not that they were exactly wrong, but still.. It wasn't like it was their fault either. There wasn't enough information about the whole thing. 

Sela had just said that she had been outside and that someone had attacked her, but that she didn't see him clearly enough to give any other description than the obvious, that the attacker was a tall male. 

Of course they picked up on the slightly older injuries, viewing her as a battered woman, that something had happened to her earlier than this incident and seemed to suspect she knew far more than she was telling them. In the defense of the detectives, she did look like a victim of abuse. Maybe by an old lover or something. Sela refused to tell them anything, even when they tried to guilt her with the: ”If you don't speak up, this person could attack someone else” reason. 

She hated every second of this, with gusto. She just wanted.. she.. she could remember what had happened in Grillby's small livingroom, on the couch. Her heart had stopped, she had been so close to the final solution, final moment. She had let go, but Sans had denied her. And she was at war with her emotions about it.

She didn't know how Sans had done what he had done, but she could remember him being dragged through every horrible memory of her life, everything. Even the things she herself hadn't remembered, she could see now. She still didn't remember them, they were like faded, flickering pictures of a horror show plastered around her brain, pictures that didn't stop even when she closed her eyes and didn't want to see.

The locks around her mind had been blasted through and there was nothing she could do to unsee. Worst of all, she had been right. It was just another bitter pill to swallow. How could uncle Ben done all that shit? How could he have? It was of very little of comfort to know how violently he had died. Sela would have done so much worse. 

Even the fact that Ben had been the origin on her soulbarrier didn't matter to Sela. It was a futile effort anyway. Gaster managed to hurt her regardless. 

Sela's eyes roamed the room. It was boring white, with very little to actually look at. Even with the little tv in the upper corner of the room she felt just empty. Watching meaningless shows wasn't something that she could enjoy right now. 

Her eyes slid to the window, the morning light shifting throught the open blinds. It looked so peaceful outside. Like nothing was wrong with the world, but everything was. Everything was wrong and she didn't know how to fix it.

Her doctor wanted her to talk to a psychologist and get some counseling since she was attacked but Sela had declined. They had to still evaluate her well-being since they had gotten their hands on her old records but Sela was as determined as ever that none of that would help either. She wasn't safe yet, maybe she would never be.

The thought caused her head to hang down dejectedly. Sela wasn't sure why she had left that night, it seemed something that Gaster had intended to happen, even orchestrated, but how? Now that was a good question. How could Sela even trust herself anymore?

The thought that everything could already be over, that she could actually be free and not feeling anything anymore, left a bitter taste in her mouth. Why had Sans decided that she couldn't die? Sela had wanted to and she still wanted that. It sure seemed like the only way out of this mess. Her anger towards Sans flared. He had no right to! But what was done, was done. Sela knew that he would be keeping an eye on her about that too. 

The nurse that cared for her marched in her room, bringing the medications that she had been ordered – something for pain and antibiotics for her wounds, blood thinners since her heart had been doing a bit poorly and vitamins to boost up her immunity. They had tried to give her medication for sleep and anxiety but she knew from experience how those meds made her feel. Having her mind muddled wouldn't solve anything right now. 

As the nurse left after handing her pills and making sure everything was good with her (what a joke! She thought bitterly) she could catch a glimpse of Sans sitting outside her room. 

He looked terrible. The dark circles under his sockets were so pronounced he looked like death, pun intended. His trademark smile was strained and didn't look happy at all and Sela knew he was making the people in the hospital feel very uncomfortable with his persistant vigilance outside her room. Her nurse had told her as much, even begged her to talk to the guy, maybe get him to actually leave.

Sela refused. She wasn't ready to talk to him and if he wasn't smart enough to give her some space, then so be it. Sela knew he was probably also worried about Gaster maybe just popping in and stealing her away and yes she was sorely aware that it was a possibility. 

Everyone else had visited her also, many times. It still astounded her that she seemed to have so many people.. well monsters really, caring for how she was doing, but she still didn't know how to feel about it. Gasters nasty remarks about them still rang in her mind. How could she be anyone important to any of them? She hadn't known them that long. She knew that people could be fast friends in the wake of tragedy but the only tragedy here seemed to be she herself. 

Sela closed her eyes with a sigh. All this thinking and feeling all the damn time was exhausting as ever. She just wanted.. she wanted to be in peace. Something she had wanted for forever.. and something she had seemed to loose now completely. How much more would she loose? Could she loose more? That was a thought that she didn't even want to think about.

 

Sans waited. And waited. And waited. He knew the people in the hospital wanted him out, but he didn't care. They had even tried to remove him but he just teleported back when they turned their backs, finding him slouching in the same chair. The other monsters understood him, but they knew more than the humans did, even if they didn't know the whole extent of his stubborness, the reason why he kept waiting to talk to Sela. Why he refused to leave her side.

He knew a part of Sela wanted to die and it was clear she wasn't very happy about the fact that he had prevented that. Since he had intimate knowledge how depression worked and warped everything you felt and thought he was pretty sure that Sela didn't even know she still had that spark in her – the endless, primitive need to survive. 

Besides, her soul was a soul of perceverance. It was honestly something Sans could have guessed after he learned a bit more about her. She had percevered through her life up to this point and it could have not been easy. Somehow he knew she wouldn't give up that easily. He hoped she wouldn't.

He was effectively snapped out of his train of thought as he heard Sela's nurse coming towards the room, with someone in tow. The nurse was talking to another woman about Sela, explaining that she might not want to see anyone. 

Sans watched them get closer with tired eyes. 

The woman with the nurse didn't look like anyone official, like the detectives, doctors and other people that had wanted to talk to Sela. Out of old habit he scanned the woman, but found he couldn't see her soul either and that sparked even more interest. It was like it had been with Sela. He could sense she had a soul, but he couldn't see the color or anything else about it. She was the second person who had managed that trick and that put him instantly on edge. 

She didn't look like trouble, but even the mundane looking people could harbour something nasty. As far as looks went, they told little about the person. 

The woman had long, straight black hair that flowed after her, dark brown eyes that watched him so intently that a shiver ran through Sans' bones. She was watching him like he knew he sometimes watched other people. She was looking straight to his soul and it made him feel extremely uncomfortable, but as piercing as her look had been, it softened as fast. 

She ignored the nurse and walked right past her, towards Sans with purpose. Sans didn't know how to feel about it. 

”You're a friend of Sela's, right?” She thrusted her hand forward and like under a spell, Sans shook the offered hand with his. Her palm was almost hot to the touch and another shiver ran through him. He could just feel the power flowing through her being. It wasn't something that was that obvious when he looked at her, but the moment they touched it felt like electricity. 

Even more strange was that she wasn't nervous or surprised or fearful of him, as he was something people hadn't still gotten used to. It seemed like a monster before her was something she was so used to, that it didn't matter at all. It was.. an odd experience to say the least. Her smile was warm and inviting, even excited, but not because she was shaking hands with a monster, that wasn't it.   
Her voice was smooth, with a distinct english accent, something Sans had heard only few times top side, in tv and a few foreign journalists that had interviewed Asgore and Toriel. 

”Uhh, yeah..” He found his voice and tried to shake out of his wierded out state. ”Sans. Sans the Skeleton.” He still wasn't sure why she was shaking hands with him. None of the other humans that had been going to see Sela had spoken with him, unless they wanted to ask stuff from him, like the two detectives that left a bad taste in his mouth.

The womans smile turned to a smirk, like she had heard a joke or something and chuckled a bit. 

”Penny, Penny Hammers, nice to meet you.”

Sans relaxed a bit and his smile was a bit more easier to keep up. She didn't seem like a bad person, even if he couldn't see her soul. 

”So what brings you here, Penny Hammers? You another one of those journalists or doctors or what have you, that want to talk to Sela?” 

Penny's smile got a little sad and she shook her head minutely.

”I actually.. I have been trying to reach Sela for this whole week but I haven't been able to. No one answered my calls and I don't have any clue if my letter found it's way to her. And no, I'm not a journalist or anything like that. I'm her.. cousin.”


	28. Grasping Straws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas and Good New Years! This year has been pretty fucking crappy, for everyone I know. I truly hope every single one of you have a great year 2018! Anyway, this chapter was a little bit delayed due to christmas rush and all that that entailed.  
> I do hope this chapter makes up for the wait. There's much more to come the next year ;)
> 
> Comments are always appreciated, even if it's something small.

”What?” Sans fixed a long, inspecting stare at the woman, Penny. Nothing in her screamed that she was trying to fool him, but some people had been able to do that to Sans and being unable to see her soul.. as much as it made sense now it also didn't make his doubts lessen by any measure.

Sela herself had said that she didn't have any family left.. not that she at least knew of and a cousin would.. no, should have been close enough of a family to be known of. During touching Sela's soul Sans had not seen one glimpse of the person infront of him, not one. So it was safe to assume Sela had no idea she had a cousin. But how did this Penny person know about her? And why now, of all times? 

Penny seemed to be watching Sans as raptly as he was watching her, like she was trying to determine what he was thinking. 

”When I couldn't get a hold of her I took a cancellation seat from a plane and flew here. I couldn't find her at her address but I think your brother.. Papyrus, was it, told me where to find you.”  
Something in Penny's smile was careful, like she was trying to gently pry information out of Sans.

”Mmh hmm, that's my bro alright. Listen, lady.. this might not be the best of times to..”

She waved her hand, nodding and interrupting him.  
”I know, believe me. But it is necessary that I see her now. I'll explain more inside.” She shot a small look to the nurse, who was standing there, just watching their interraction like she didn't know what she was looking at. 

”She doesn't want to see me.” Sans didn't want to say it but it sounded like she wanted him to be there too, for what ever reason.

”Aren't you her friend?” 

Sans sighed and cleared his throath, even when he didn't need to. She sure seemed oddly assuming, nosey and friendly and it was something that Sans had not experienced from humans before. She acted more like most monsters did, something people told them was overly friendly. Like she knew things, like she had already implanted herself with them. Like she was a part of this all. 

”Ahh.. yeah. It's.. more complicated than that.” Sans searched hard for a more neutral answer, since the nurse was still listening in on their converstation. He could see how the nurses expressions were going all over the place, from annoyance to surprise to suspection and disgust. He didn't even want to guess what the woman was deducting from all this.

Sela not wanting to talk to him had already been a huge deal to them, since everyone said Sans was a friend but why wouldn't Sela want to see him then? The hospital staff didn't know but they didn't like this monster hanging around and refusing to be reasonable. What the hell could be complicated about a friendship? There was only one universal answer to that, that humans knew of.

”Well still. I think you need to hear this too. I have a feeling.” Was all Penny said with a strained smile that made Sans' mood plummet even more.

”Ehh. We'll see.”

Penny let out a breath, like she had been holding one in for a long time and waved for the nurse to knock on the door. The nurse looked annoyed being ordered around but did what Penny had suggested with her simple gesture.

She knocked on the door, opening it and peering inside. Sela was laying in the bed, like always, bandages covering her hands and legs, a grey cover halfway on her. All the neutral colors inside the room made her look so pale that it broke Sans' heart. Her expression was closed, her eyes cautious, as she was watching the nurse. 

”You have a visitor, Miss Blair, if you are up to it?” The nurse glanced back at them with a small sneer. It was clear what she was thinking about them. She had never been friendly towards monsters, or any people who were friendly to them that Sans had seen.

”Who is it now.” Sela's small voice was flat, void of much emotion besides exhaustion and boredom. 

The nurse didn't have any time to say more. Penny waltzed right in past her, dragging Sans in tow. She had grabbed his bony hand with determination and Sans stumbled a bit after her. With an apologetic smile she closed the door in the face of the nurse, who looked absolutely scandalized and offended. 

Sela's eyes darkened when she saw Sans and her mouth pursed angrily. 

”What the hell do you think you're doing?” Sela's voice gained a little more strenght and she was watching them with increasing anger.

”I'm sorry, but he needs to hear this too.” Penny dragged a chair next to Sela's bed and sat herself down, offering her hand to her.  
”I'm Penny Hammers, your cousin.”

First Sela's mouth fell open like she was about to say something. Then she closed it and kept staring at Penny with her eyes still angry and her brow knitted. After a moment she spoke.

”.. how?”

Sans felt incredibly uncomfortable, like he was intruding into something personal that he had no right to be seeing. 

”I live in England so you never knew about me.. I'm a daughter of your mothers sister, Pearl.” Penny smiled.

”I didn't know my mom had a sister.”

”I know.. Look. I didn't know about you either, for a long time. Our family was always a bit.. problematic.” Penny pondered.

”You could say that again..” Sela retorted. ”Why should I believe you? I have never heard anything about you and you just ..appear out of nowhere.” 

Penny brightened up and produced a bunch of papers out of her purse. ”I do have proof, you don't just have to take my word for it.” She handed the papers to Sela, who leafed through them carefully, her expression still drawn. 

”Mmh hm. Well so it seems.” She gave the papers back to the other woman, crossing her hands protectively across her midsection.

”So what brings you to Ebott, Penny Hammers?”

”Because there's a demon after you.” 

It was so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Sans wasn't sure what to think and Sela's face went slack. 

”How do you know that?” Sans managed to speak first.

”I have a gift. I'm sure you have figured out that Sela has magic too, like you monsters, yeah?” Both of them nodded. ”She is not the only in our family that has or had magic. Her mother had some, my mother has some and so do I. See your dad didn't have any magic, but there was magic running in his family too. His brother Ben had magic.” 

”We know about Ben.” Sela looked furious and Sans could understand why. Mentioning Ben was like waving a red flag, a sore reminder of the painful past she had had to endure. Past, that had bled into present.  
”And if you know about that.. thing and Ben, you know what he did.” Sela's voice was ice cold.

”Regrettably yes.” Penny sighed and leaned on the chair, looking angry, disappointed and disgusted herself. ”He was a bastard.” 

”How long have you known about this?” There was an accusation in Sela's voice, unsaid, but just as plain as day. 

”Not long. I tried to contact you, but I couldn't find you so I came here myself. I know this all is probably really .. strange. Mom never talked about Pearl because they didn't really get along, mainly because of my father. They never really approved of him and so mom moved to England to live with him. After that the little contact that was left just.. fizzled out.” 

”And when mom died? Or their parents?” 

”What can I say. Mom is a stubborn woman. To her they were as good as dead, since she felt they abandoned her first.” Penny shook her head in regret. ”Moms been in a carehome now for few months and .. well I needed to sort her affairs in order and clean up her house. That's when I found the old pictures and the last letters that your mother and mine had written to each others.” 

”It was like a dam had broken or something. I've always had my gift, my premonitions and visions and dreams. It has even been my profession during my adulthood but there was always visions I could never understand. I had them about this person.. this girl, that was alone, that was decieved so badly. I never undestood who she was, I tried sometimes to find knowledge if it was a ghost of someone or someone living that was trying to reach me but I never found anything. Not one thing.. so I gave up.” 

There were tears trickling down Sela's face but Sans was frozen in place, watching her listening to Penny, watching Penny telling her story.

”After I found out I had a cousin it all came rushing in. All of the old visions and more, new ones, stuff that was happening now. I knew I had to talk to you.. and the visions didn't stop, they were going all crazy! I saw.. him.” Penny shivered visibly and Sela followed with a shudder. ”I know I'm late.. but.. I think I can help you.” 

Even with a declaration like that, Sela's face stayed the same, sorrowful, drawn and tired. She regarded the woman, her cousin, with weary eyes. Penny didn't look like some powerful wizard that could just blast Gaster out of her trail with ease. She looked like an ordinary woman, just a normal human. Sela tried to imagine her being pitched against Gaster's powers and it just felt ridicilous. What could she do that the monster couldn't? 

It felt just doubtful that there would be anyone who could actually help. Like she said, a demon was after her. Sela had watched horror movies, read books. It never ended well, no matter how many priests were involved, no matter what religion was brought into the picture. She could hardly imagine Gaster being afraid of a cross and Penny hadn't said anything about being a priest. She carried no cross on her chest. Nothing about her screamed holy. 

Sela snuck a look at Sans, the skeleton was measuring Penny with a gaze that spoke volumes. He didn't trust her either. And he knew alot more about Gaster and magic than she probably did. But then again.. she had been screaming for solutions instead of just endless questions. Was this how the universe answered? 

Penny seemed to sense that Sans was inspecting her and turned towards him. 

”I know it must bother you..” She started and Sans seemed to snap out of it, knitting his bone brow at her. ”Not being able to see my soul.” 

Sela almost laughed at the dumbfounded expression the skeleton got but kept her amusement under the wraps. She was still angry, she didn't know why he had to be dragged into her room without her wishes. 

He cleared his throath and tried to ease up on his frown, plastering his easy-going smile on his face but it was hard. This woman was something else. But what? He wasn't sure yet. 

”It is unsual.” 

Penny got up from her chair, turning towards him. Her smile was sad, but her eyes sparkled with something more knowing. 

”Many adults, who have any magic and are aware of it have to do it. Just to protect ourselves. Here..” She did a small gesture before her and a glowing sphere, just like Sela's, slipped easily out of her. It was flowing gently on her palm, iriscendent hints of color swirling on its surface. 

Sans' eyelights were glued on the soul, sharp and attentive. A drop of blueish sweat was rolling down his skull, like he was nervous or something.

Suddenly the sphere started to shiver and the sphere started to evaporate, leaving behind a brilliant heart-shaped soul. Half of it was red as a ruby and the other half was vibrantly yellow, the colors blended beautifully in the middle, streaking the heart with orange. Sans' eye burst into life with the reveal, blue and yellow flame licking the side of his skull up to the ceiling, his other socket going completely black. Penny didn't even flinch but Sela did. She had seen Sans like that once before.

Sans' whole skeletal body was trembling and his left hand rose quickly, almost like he was trying to shield himself, blue magic wisping between his bones, engulfing the whole hand. The air smelled like ozone and felt crackling with power. The monsters mouth was working silently, his surprisingly sharp canines making his strained smile a terrible thing to see. 

”I.. can't move..” Penny's voice was strained and filled with surprise. There was a barely visible blue aura around her soul. 

”Sans!” Sela begged, seeing him like this made her own soul shiver with fear and she needed to brake the what ever spell that had made him react like this.

”SANS!” 

Her screetch seemed to brake his state and his hand dropped. He was panting and blue sweat was running down his horrified face. He sat down on the chair behind him in defeat, leaving Penny looking rattled and worried.

”Don't... don't do that. Put your soul away.” His voice still carried a darker tone that seemed very uncharactheristic to the monster. 

Penny blushed and let her soul slip into her chest with now even more abashed expression. ”I'm sorry.. That was a first time anyone reacted like that, really.” 

Sans half sighed, half laughed, the small, white lights returned into his sockets. His mouth was turned down, equally weird look on him.

”Yeah. Sorry about that. Just for future reference.. don't go around showing your soul to other people, or monster all willy nilly. It's.. personal.”

”Would other monsters react like you and attack me?” 

”Attack?” Sela was confused. Had Sans harmed Penny some way?

”Ah.. ehh. No. But I'm.. it's complicated.” He didn't offer an actual explanation and Sela was weirded out thoroughly. Sans hadn't reacted like that to her soul, nor had any of the other monsters actually. What she just saw was something totally different for sure. 

Penny looked a bit annoyed too. She had crossed her arms and was looking at the skeleton hard. She wanted an explanation, that was clear as day.

Sans rubbed his skull, wiping the sweat from his face. There was no easy way getting out of this, was there? But there was no way he would be able to tell these two all about it, or anyone for that matter. His mind was scrambling for something, at the same time battling his still screaming anxiety and horror upon landing his eyes upon another red soul. He was a bit surprised about his viscal reaction to that, himself. He felt like shit for doing that to Penny, using his gravity magic like that. He hadn't planned it, it just.. happened. 

”Just don't like red souls. It's personal.” 

The both women looked still very incredulous but after a few seconds Penny shrugger her shoulders and let the issue go. ”I wasn't hurt so I suppose it's okay. Don't do that again, tho. Ever. That was profoundly uncomfortable.” She wagged her finger at him. 

Sela still looked pretty angry to Sans but she didn't say anything. For a moment Sans wanted to explain himself to her but he knew he couldn't. Besides, she was angry for many things, not just about what happened just now. There was a shitload to explain and she didn't want to hear him yet, he knew just from a short eye contact with her. 

”Listen.. Penny. This is all fancy and very.. strange, but how are you so sure that you could help me? That ..thing that is trying to get me is pretty fucking powerful.” Sela's voice was so devoid of any hope that it really hit home to Sans. She sounded like he himself did before, under the mountain. He barely supressed a shiver running down his spine.

Penny turned back to her cousin, sneaking a careful glance to Sans and sat back down.

”Well, it is. Powerful, that is. But it's not the first time I've bumbed heads with a creature that could be described as a demon. I know it sounds ridicilous but there are rules even that thing has to abide to.” Her smile was small and sad, like she was reminiscing something.

”Of course I can't be sure that I can defeat that thing but.. you're family. I have to try to do something. I came all this way, I'm not giving up.” 

Sela sighed. Penny's voice carried a stubborness she surely had herited from her mother and who was she to turn down potential help? She had herself hoped for something, even against all hope, even if she was grasping for straws. 

”Alright. If you think you know what you're getting into, which I'm not sure you do.. but.. I suppose I can't order you to just go back home.” Sela conceded.

”Absolutely not! There's no way you can turn me back.” Her smile was wide and far more elated that the situation called for. ”Now.. is there anything we know about this demon thing?”

There really wasn't a more loaded question she could have asked. 

Sans cleared his non-existing throath again from his chair. 

”It's my dad.” His voice was filled to the brim with disgust and revulsion at the admission.

Penny's eyebrows would have shot to the ceiling had they not been attached to her skin. 

”Excuse me?”


	29. About Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OYYY another wild chapter appears! It's just a bit shorter, but the next one is already almost done, so don't you beautiful, beautiful people worry. There will be MUCH to learn.

 

He was sitting in a rather well kempt leather armchair, despite it having been left in his lair to rot for such a long time. The leather creaked as he shifted minutely. Gaster was angry. No, furious would have better described his mental state.

He certainly had NOT taken into account that any damage would befall him in that weather. The whole thought made his face scrunch up in rage and shortly after, in agony. He had medicated himself to almost stupor but it still hurt like hell. There was a larger crack now in his cranium and his jaws had dislocated and the bone had broken almost beyond any hope when the damn tree had fallen on him, his head regrettably taking the brunt of the trunk. Had he not been a powerful creature and a skilful doctor he might have died. 

The thought of being flung right back into the place he spent a long time trying to escape, made his gut twist with even more anger. It would have been a mistake he would've never forgiven himself. 

The healing process was much more longer than he had anticipated, even with the aid of few of his new test subjects energy to use and it made his hide itch. He hadn't wanted to use his test subjects to this kind of gain but it was necessary. He had no time to idle in this state. Nor had he the time to get replacement ones yet. 

It left a sour taste in his mouth that he had to give up on the experiment he was conducting but situation didn't leave much choice. He could always repeat the previous steps to come back to what he had already achieved. 

Gaster had also felt Sela slipping almost out of his reach. She had almost died. Ah.. well, actually died for a moment would be more accurate a description and he chided himself since it was mostly his fault. He would have to be more careful. Killing the woman would have been an easy task for him but that was not his goal, not at the moment at least. Luckily his son wasn't quite ready to give up on her either.

There was one more unpredicted outcome in all this that made him incredibly disappointed in himself. His magic had vanished into thin air the moment Sela had let go and he had no way to know how she was doing right now, or know where she was. He had been way too sloppy lately and that made his resolve harder to reign himself in better. 

No matter how long it took to nurse back to health he would have to just bare it and make sure that no new ”unpredictable elements” would hinder him. He needed to be concentrated and restrained and aware of things from now on. It mattered to him little, that the fact was that the topside world was highly unpredictable place and it was challenging to be aware of every possible outcome in these circumstances but damn it, he was Gaster! He was a scientist of no little merit. 

He had clearly gotten too lax and exited about his newfound being and slipped, badly. He had learned his lesson. 

Loosing his mark on Sela was only a minor setback. He had found her once and he would find her again, it would be only a small inconvinience. And this time he would make sure his mark would be permanent.

 

After some deliberation with her doctor it was decided she could go home, something that Sela had equally feared and anticipated. Laying in the hospital bed was not the most interesting thing to do day after day, after all. 

Since she now had someone to look after her, Penny promising to help her get around and care for her while staying with her, the doctor had relented. Initially he had stated that she should stay for few more days to see how she was coming along but she had already proved to be unwilling to stay or talk to the psychologists. There wasn't much else they could do anyway. 

The fracture in her tibia would heal in time and her other wounds were in the state that they could be taken care of at home. The doctor ordered a housecall with one of the nurses when it would be time to take out the sutures on said wounds. 

There hadn't been any more problems with her heart after the first few days and all the tests they had done showed only a normal, regularly beating heart and adequate oxygen intake. Her scans were clear and there was nothing else wrong with her health. 

Sans could finally go home too. Sela suspected he would keep an vigilant eye on her still, but she could always say he had no busines being in her home. It was her home after all. If he wanted to intrude he could do so from the yard. 

Sela still wasn't sure how to feel about Penny. She seemed genuine and friendly enough but it was just so weird. She just wanted to go home and.. sleep. Be in peace. If it was even possible. There was always the possibility of Gaster coming barreling through her front door, slicing through Penny like a knife through warm butter but she had to have some hope that she could defend herself. 

What else was there to do but hope? Not much. Darkly Sela decided she would rather die at home than at some forest or the hospital. 

When the doctor gave his consent to her being sent home Sans called for Undyne and Alphys to get them, since they had a bigger car than the brothers. Sela suspected that he also wanted them to meet Penny and see for themselves this magic wielding human. Penny seemed happy with it so she didn't care how the transport happened. 

It was agreed that they would help with bringing her bed downstairs to her study so she wouldn't have to clamber up the stairs all the time. With her fracture and the wounds on her legs it would have been too taxing and there was enough space in the room for her bed if they re-organized a bit. 

Undyne and Papyrus were both way too exited to do all the work so they had to decide with rock-paper-scissors which one would get the honors. Undyne won, barely, but Papyrus was more than happy to clean the whole house in a record time. Sela had to admit to herself she was again taken aback by the exuberance and energy that the two emitted. It was.. amusing but tiring at the same time.

With Alphys' help she wobbled to the porch. She craved for fresh air.

Someone, probably Papyrus had mowed the lawn and everything looked decievingly normal. Sela closed her eyes, relishing the warmth of the sun and the chirping of the birds in the forest. The voices of the overly energetic monsters could still be heard but silenced somewhat by the walls. 

”So...so, h..how do y..y..you feel about be..being home again?” Alphys' meek, stuttering words broke her out of her silent contemplations. She had almost forgot that the monster was still sitting with her on a wooden chair next to her. Alphys was nice company, she was shy and didn't fret over her like the others. Sela didn't know yet how to feel about Penny's company. 

”Ahh.. Well I'm not sure yet. It's my home and I like my home. But..”

”Worried t..that G..Gaster will come wa..waltzing in?” Alphys shivered and looked nervously around her, like the mere mention of his name would conjure him up. Luckily nothing happened, which made Sela let out a breath she had sucked in when she mentioned him.

”It's a possibility.” 

”We tried t..to find him af..after all that ha..happened but.. there w..was no tr.. trace of him.” The monster hung her head in defeat, she was wringing her clawed hands in her lap and Sela patted her gingerly. 

”Yeah. I wish the tree would have killed him but gues I have no such luck. Penny did claim that she could make the house safe again. We'll see how it goes.” 

”Y..you're aw..awfully calm about this.” 

”I have no choice, do I?” Sela pursed her lips, a sudden surge of bitterness clenching her chest. 

There wasn't much Alphys could answer to that, the lizard realised herself. Sela had already been attacked by the monster enough times to strip her off any hope to have some say in what happened. Alphys couldn't even imagine what it felt like, being a small leaf in a whirlpool that you couldn't see the end of. She had always had a choice, even when she had chosen the wrong thing to do or say. 

”I'll t..talk to Penny t..to see if th..there's anything I c..could help with.” Alphys offered. 

Sela nodded, her face clouded over with evidently dark thoughts. With a sigh she seemed to shake what ever she was thinking about and turned herself to face Alphys.

”So.. Gaster used to be your boss, right? He was a monster once. What was he like?”

The question took Alphys by surprise. ”A..are you s..s..sure you want t..to know?”

”Yes.” 

The answer was resolved, her voice hard. 

Alphys was sweating bullets now, trembling in the chair. This wasn't something she was clearly comfortable with talking about but Sela needed to know. He had been something else before, pretty terrible according to the monsters but had he been this bad? Not likely. 

”He.. he w..was the R..Royal Sci..Scientist.. He was brilliant a..at everyt..thing he d..did. I w..was his stu..student up t..to the po..point when he died.. with S..Sans. He ta..taught us e..everything we we..were able to learn. We ne..never were good e..enough for him th..though. But he w..was e..even more hard wi..with Sans.” There were few tears in Alphys's eyes and it pained Sela, but she had to learn something about the bastard. And she did not want to talk with Sans yet so Alphys was her only chance. 

”He w..was pretty ru..ruthless for a mo..monster, which was un..unusual. I had n..never met any other monster.. so.. so robbed of cons..consciense. It's n..not that he was evil.. He tried t..to better the monsterkind. He s..studied ma..many things to make things better b..but he didn't care at w..what cost it happened.” 

Well to Sela he sounded like a real bastard, even back then. She nodded for Alphys to continue.

”He w..was t..trying to brake down th..the barrier with any m..means necessary. Even w..when colleagues or test s..subjects got hu..hurt, he didn't stop. B..but there must ha..have been something e..else too. Something h..he did to S..Sans to make him w..want to kill him.” The monster sniffled and produced a polka dotted handkerchief from her skirts pocket. 

”EVERYTHING IS READY AND IN ORDER, MISS SELA!” Papyrus burst through the door, scaring the both women out of their minds. Alphys squeled and almost fell off the chair and Sela twitched, the stitches on her backside pulling angrily, making her wince. Did the skeleton seriously not have any other volume than screaming from the top of his lungs? 

Sela bit back a nasty remark about it. ”Thanks, Papyrus.”

 

Penny paced in Sela's bedroom, getting the feel of the place. To her, the energy in the place had been pretty obvious the minute they pulled up to the driveway but it had somewhat diminished as the house filled with Undynes and Papyrus's raucous banter. Still.. the dark undercurrent was there, slithering in the darker corners and trying to grip onto her like an unwanted houseguest. 

She had had to do countless house purifications as a medium so this was nothing she hadn't felt before. She didn't try to kid herself tho. If this thing, Gaster, as his name was, was as powerful as her own visions and Sela had told her, the energy in the house should have been way worse than it was. 

The fact, that the ”haunting” had let up this much in about a week told her that his influence either wasn't very well woven or it was intentional. Maybe to even lull everyone into believing that he wasn't as powerful or something. Something she knew for sure was that demonic creatures lived to deceive everyone. 

What ever the case might be, she was sure she could chase the remaining remnants out of the house and make it much more bearable for them to stay in. There was no way to get rid of it entirely, since Gaster was still after her cousin. These type of situations were the more tricky ones, Penny knew. 

Her gaze fixed on a mirror that hung on the wall of Sela's bedroom. She checked herself over, smoothing out her dark hair and smiled crookedly to her reflection. Yeah.. She would do her very best, Sela was family, after all. And what would you not do for your family? 

A shiver ran through her spine as the shadows in the rooms corner seemed to move. When she turned around, there was nothing there. But she knew better.

When she left the room she almost ran into the small lizard monster, the monsters face displaying an array of nervousness and shyness that Penny regarded with a friendly smile.  
”Oh! I'm sorry, didn't mean to bumb into you like that, are you okay?” She tried to remember her name but she had never been that good in remembering peoples names.  
”Ahh..h it's n..n..no problem! It w..was m..my fault, really!” The lizard monster fidgeted and was visibly sweating and trembling a bit. Wasn't she the most precious thing ever? Penny mused to herself.

”Let's agree we both were a bit preoccupied, come, I'll be starting the cleanse soon.” Penny patted her on the shoulder and gesturing towards downstairs.  
”Ah.. a..about that. I mi..might have so..something to h..help!” The monster fiddled with her glasses, pushing them up her nose. ”A..also I was interesting in h..how you would go about it.”

Penny cocked her head to the side for a moment, watching the monster. She faintly remembered something about her.. she was a scientist, wasn't she? Yeah that was right. ”Sure, let's get downstairs and we can talk about it, I'd be happy to have any help I can get.” 

No human scientist had ever shown any interest in her area of expertise, since before the monsters had surfaced they had been stricktly under the understanding that anything otherwordly or paranormal was something that only superstitious and stupid people believed in. Alot had changed with the monsters, but she had not yet experienced much sway in scientific field.

”I'm sorry but I don't remember your name yet.. Never been that good with names anyway.” She smiled apologetically. 

”Oh! Alphys.” She extended her clawed hand to the woman and she shook it with a smile. ”Just Alphys?”

Alphys blushed and her teeth worried the side of her scaly lip. ”Ah heh..hehhe I a..always forget, since we didn't u..usually use surnames U..underground. Alphys Yellowtail.” 

Penny smiled wide. ”I can see where the name came. Well, Dr. Alphys Yellowtail, let's get cracking.”

 

Sans was sitting in his own backyard, deep in thought. He wanted to join the others and help out at Sela's house but he hadn't felt that welcome. One sideways look from Sela and he had decided to let her get situated. Papyrus had tried to get him to stay but he just shrugged his shoulders and teleported away. Better not piss Sela off any more at the moment.

Besides, it wasn't like he was that far away, he tried to ease himself. 

His thoughts returned to the newly founded cousin, Penny. His own volatile reaction to seeing the womans soul. It's not that Sans hadn't ran into any other red souls after leaving Underground, he had and he had also managed to stop reacting to Frisk's soul, so why did this one spook him this much? Was it just that he was taken by surprise or something else. 

He knew he had a problem with trust these days and he couldn't fault himself too much on that but still. Penny's soul wasn't even purely DETERMINED, so he should've stayed much more calm during that confrontation. 

Sans stilled while processing it. That was the problem wasn't it. She had confronted him, like monsters could. He had not ever seen a human being able to do that, unless they had been Underground, even then it was usually initiated by a scared or angry monster. In simply showing her soul to him she had showcased something he had not experienced before and he hadn't even realised it fully until now. Which meant.. Damn it, he could have checked her stats and see if she had any LOVE. Instead he had panicked and pulled that stupid stunt with his magic. It was a small miracle that Sela had gotten through to him in time before he did anything worse. 

Sans wondered if he could ask her to confront him again, if he promised he wouldn't freak out like that. Or would it be unpolite? Maybe he should just sneak a peak, maybe she wouldn't notice. The problem was she wasn't like other people around here, she could muster up that barrier and she probably kept it up when there were other people around. If he wanted a peak, he'd have to ask or really go rogue. 

Besides, how would he justify wanting another confrontation? ”Yeah sorry don't trust you at all actually, now let me take a gander and see if you're full of LOVE or full of bullshit.” Yup, that'd go down reeeeeal well. He would have to catch her unaware, then, he decided. 

Papyrus yelling at him from Sela's door brought him back to this moment.


	30. Soul Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still going stronk, like Mother Russia intended! Or something like that *coughs* Anyway - I hope I didn't butcher a confrontation totally, it's my take on it, be it crap or not. It's been such a long time since I played through the game.. I probably should, again.
> 
> ALSO HOOOOLY FUCK there was like a whole portion MISSING from this chapter that I now noticed :O :O >:E So I added it. Void ate the conversation between Sela and Sans but now it's there and the next chapter will make much more sense. *curses loudly*

 

All of the monsters present had gathered to sit by the kitchen table that Papyrus had scrubbed squeaky clean. With a shiver Sans looked at the floor that was equally clean after his brothers efforts. He could still see all the blood in his minds eye, tho. Sitting by the table felt incredibly uncomfortable since he knew what had happened there but he didn't say anything.

Sela was sitting in a armchair in the livingroom and had a clear view of them all. He didn't question her distancing herself from the kitchen at all. She seemed to be doing her best to ignore him but Sans could feel her eyes on his back from time to time. At some point she would have to let him explain. That was what he hoped for at least. 

Penny was leaning on the kitchen counter, twiddling a bundle of somekind. 

”So! I had a real interesting talk with Dr Alphys here and she told me that her and Sans might be able to build somekind of ..machine? To help with the upkeep of the cleansing on this house.”

Sans raised an browbone at Alphys who was blushing wildly. Undyne seemed to exude pride at her girlfriend and was holding her protectively against her side, hand stretched to hug the smaller monster. 

”Y..yes! It sh..shouldn't be a problem. I'll s..show you the plans la..later, Sans.” 

”Okay.”

”Fantastic! Now, onto the matter at hand. After my preliminary investigation, I've found that the energy levels here are a bit better than I first suspected, but that's to be expected. Creatures like this.. eh, demon, like to lay low so they wouldn't be easily detected and it might be hard to keep his influence out.. But! That's where that possible machine would come in and make my job alot easier.”

Penny seemed to have everyone else mesmerized but as Sans tried to see how the womans soul was, he found it was again shrouded like before. It was as he had thought then. She was keeping her soul hidden, even when there were only friendly elements present. 

”I'm going to first sage this house, which will chase out any negative energies and then you two,” She pointed at Undyne and Papyrus, ”will bury these four amulets on the corners of the house. They don't have to be that deep, only so that no birds will steal them.” She pulled out few gleaming, small silver objects from a little pouch that was laying on the counter beside her.

”Fuhuhu, consider it done!” Undyne cackled and slapped the bigger skeletons shoulder. Sans couldn't help but smile widely. If Penny wouldn't have specified how to bury the things, he was sure there would have been huge, deep holes around the house by the end of the day. 

Sela sighed heavily from her chair, everyones eyes turning to her. 

”Won't he just be able to dig the damn things out and destroy them himself?. He isn't some obscure ghost that can't interract with the world around him.” She didn't sound very convinced and Sans had to admit she had a valid point. 

”He won't want to touch these babies. You say he was a monster before and yeah, that makes him very real, but like I said, he isn't exactly a monster anymore. There are things that can hurt these creatures and I'd say from my experience that holy water is one of them. These amulets are blessed by a priest and soaked in holy water and they're made of silver, and those things don't like any of these three things.” Pennys voice was still friendly, but had an edge to it. 

Sela scoffed. ”He could use gloves or tools. I've been told he was a genious.” 

Penny rolled her eyes. ”Yes, despite everything it is a new situation for me too. I can't promise it won't be totally useless, but it's something we have to try at least. Or do you want to make it easier for him to come at you?” 

”It doesn't matter what I want.”

”Yes it does! I know it's hard to believe there would be anything to do now but..” Penny started but was interrupted by Sela's cold, short bark of a laughter.

”It didn't matter before. Do any of you think I wanted to walk to that forest? Still I did that, like a moth to a flame, unable to stop, unable to even realise what a monumental mistake I was doing! If he wants something, he's just going to get it any way he can!”

Penny was silent for a moment, clearly thinking about what Sela had told them.

”It sounds like he was influencing you.” 

Sans piped up finally, maybe this was something that Penny knew about. He hadn't been able to make head or tails about it at the time, since he didn't have knowledge like her.  
”Toriel said after the ..second attack, that she couldn't fully heal Sela. That his magic was lingering within her and combating her magic off. Was that him influencing her?” 

”Well there isn't exactly a precedent instance like this but I'd say, yes. Did you feel like you weren't exactly yourself then, Sela? Did you feel any way strange, like you were outside yourself, like something just wasn't right?” Penny was tapping a finger to her lips, thinking out loud. 

”Yes. Like I wasn't in control, like I had no say. I kept having these.. ehh.” Sela fell silent, blushing furiously and Sans blushed right after that. Pennys eyes burned holes to him but he stayed quiet. Alphys and Undyne looked uncomfortable too. Only one completely oblivious to the ”heat” issue was Papyrus. 

Penny seemed to pick up on the vibe effortlessly and steered away from the issue. ”Sounds like something like influence was at play. Usually these creatures do leave an imprint of some sort on their victim, like a claim.. a mark if you will, that will help them with their task. Since he did attack you more than once he was just building the mark, making you even more susceptible to suggestion.” 

”Ha..have you f..felt like not yourself a..anymore?” Alphys asked and Sela scrunched her brow.

”No.. not actually. I've felt like myself after I woke up in the hospital.” 

”I wonder..” Alphys was squinting her eyes, thinking about the knowledge. ”Sela.. I h..h..hate to ask th..this, but I think w..we need to t..take a look at y..your soul.”

”Fine. But Sans has to step out.” 

Sans supressed a flinch but did his best to keep his cool. It still hurt, even if he understood.

”B..but we n..n..need h..his e..expertise.” Had Alphys sounded any more apologetic, she could have gone for Nabstablooks double. The ghost monster was ridicilously infamous of being overtly sorry for his existence.

Sela just raised her hands in the air, frustration making her mouth purse up in displeasure. ”His expertise?? Sure, what ever. Just do what you like.” 

”What makes him the expert on souls exactly?” Undyne looked at the skeleton monster with a doubtful expression. 

”SANS IS GREAT AT ANYTHING HE DOES! ..EXCEPT CLEANING HIS SOCKS, THAT IS. AND WAKING UP. AND CLEANING OF ANY SORTS. .. OR JOKES.” Papyrus interjected but seemed to deflate midway his rant. 

Alphys was looking at Sans pleadingly. Sans felt his sins crawl on his back and fought to keep from shuddering. There were times that he wanted to keep his past as a secret but gues this was not one of them. It took a few tries to actually produce voice, but finally he managed to push it out.

”I was the Judge, Underground.”

Not everyone knew who, or what the Judge was, but Undyne and Papyrus both did know that whoever was appointed the Judge was one of the last defenders of Underground, a confidant and a champion of King Asgore Dreemur. Simply put, a person of no small power, someone that could see what you were really made of. Either of them would have laughed themselves to tears had someone else than Sans himself told them that the Judge was Sans Serif. 

Papyrus recovered from the shock far faster than Undyne, who was gaping at Sans like a fish out of water. The younger skeleton monster had shot up from his chair, clutching his chest with gloved hands and there were actual, little stars twinkling around his eyesockets. He looked absolutely elated.

”SANS!!! I'M SO .. SO.. PROUD OF YOU!” Papyrus screetched and snatched Sans up to a crushing hug. 

Undyne was muttering something under her breathe that Sans couldn't make out. Propably profanities. Penny and Sela looked equally weirded out, and why would they have not. They had no idea what it even meant. 

”What does that mean? It sounds ominous.” Penny finally asked.

No one answered for a while and Sans sighed, Papyrus letting him down finally.

”It means I was the one to inspect anyone who wanted an audience with the King. And that I can see a soul without a confrontation. To Judge, wether they are filled with love.. or LOVE.” 

”If they're bad or good.” Undyne offered. 

”And if they were bad?” Penny was looking worried now.

”I'd Judge them accordingly.” 

Everyone fell silent. It wasn't hard to imagine what that would include and Sans' hard expression coupled with his now empty and black sockets was indicator enough. Even Papyrus was wordless. 

”I don't understand. Filled with love or love? What's the difference?” Sela questioned the solemn group. 

”LOVE, the latter.. it's an acronym. It stands for Level Of ViolencE. When you hurt others you gain EXP, ExecutionPoints and the more you have those, the higher your LOVE is. It affects your soul and it usually means you're not that good of a person. It's not very exact science, since most adult humans have some LOVE in their soul.” Sans explained, careful not to make the two humans even more nervous.

”Oh..” Sela's eyes shifted to her lap. ”Do monsters gain LOVE?” 

”Yes. They can. They usually don't.” 

”How's that?” 

Sans didn't like where this was going but he knew Sela might blow up if he'd deflect the question. 

”We didn't have much crime in Underground, like in human society. Also there were not many humans around there. We didn't have any reason to use physical violence against each others. Some of the old veterans who fought in the war with humans prior to us being locked up, had LOVE in their souls but other than that.. it was virtually nonexistent.” 

Sela was watching Sans with a small frown. He didn't know what she was thinking but he could take a guess. Sela knew Sans had essentially killed at least Gaster. If he was the Judge, had he killed someone else? Had he killed people? With all his might he prayed to the stars above she wouldn't ask that. To his relief, she just hummed and turned her gaze away to Alphys.

”Alright. Do you want to do it right now?”

”It m..might be b..better to see now if th..there are a..any lingering effects. If G..Gasters magic in..influenced you it would h..have shown on yo..your soul.” 

Sela nodded and Alphys gestured Sans to follow her. Everyone else creeped closer too, likely too fascinated now to back off. Sela didn't seem to mind, the only one she had eyes for now was Sans. The skeleton felt the force of her reserved stare and felt bad that he hadn't had the opportunity to make things right with her. 

”Just try to relax, if ya can.” He said softly, trying to look as disarming as possible and finally Sela let out a sigh and visibly relaxed, clearly determined to get this done, even with Sans doing it. 

Sans took that as his mark and pulled out her soul. He went right into the tunnelvision that a true confrontation generated, making the others fade out almost completely, but even in this state he could hear the sharp gasps that rang out in the room. His own spine produced a muffled, rattling sound as a shiver ran through him.

The soulbarrier was gone, and Sela's heart-shaped human soul was now fully visible. Shades of purple, leaning on royal blue and faint red swirled lazily in the soul, it's tip sporting a clearer, blue phanlange shaped spot on it, from when Sans had had to pull the soul back. 

But in the middle..

There was a gaping hole, a nothingness. You could see clear through it to Sela's chest. It took a moment for Sans to get a grip and actually start. 

_*You encounter Sela Blair._

_*Check *Talk *Question *Fight_

Nothing out of normal there at least. Sans chose the _”check”_ option. 

__***Sela Blair – ATK 10 DEF 10**  
_***Dislikes secrets.**_  
_***Someone has stolen a piece of her SOUL.**_  
_***Don't Judge.**_

Sans was pretty certain of who had stolen that piece. For what ever reason, W.D Gaster liked round holes. It was a clear charasteristic mark he left when taking or marking something. There had been countles times Sans had seen it when he was younger. Why the monster had similar round holes in his palms tho.. That he wasn't so sure about, but he had a theory. 

Sela had a LVL 2 soul, so there wasn't much of LOVE, which was good. It was in the range of normalcy for grown up humans as far as he was concerned. He wondered what Sela's soul might have looked before, when Gaster clearly had had her under his spell, but now there wasn't much else to indicate that anything had happened. 

Since Sela seemed to be doing rather well despite the empty hole in her soul, he was prone to think it was a condition she had been living with a very long time. The wound, if you could call it exactly that, didn't feel recent in any way. The blue bit on the tip instead, was a new thing. He could even see it in the way it shimmered on the surface. After some time, it would probably vanish entirely.  
For some reason, the thought saddened him. 

As he ended is turn, before he could end the confrontation alltogether, he could feel Sela ACT.

He could feel what she was doing. She was doing a check option on him. He wanted to severe the confrontation, leap out and save face but he ground his teeth, his mind set. He would give her this, it was only fair. 

 

 

Sela was trembling, watching everything turn dimmer, like she was in a tunnel of sorts. This hadn't happened before when her soul had been pulled out, but as it turned out, her soul wasn't the same anymore either. The situation was different, things had changed.

She didn't know how to feel about the round, eerily familiar hole in the middle of her soul, but the fact that the barrier had vanished was something else. Why had it shattered? Did it have something to do with her practically dying? She could hear the collective gasp from the group outside the confrontation tunnel but for some reason the hole didn't actually surprise her that much. It was like she had always known somehow, that there was something wrong with her. It made sense to her. 

The feeling of Sans performing the checking on her didn't feel as bad as she had first assumed it would. Now, more than ever it felt like they had some kind of connection, besides this confrontation. But she hadn't still forgiven him. Suddenly Sela felt with certainty, that it was her turn.

She had the power to do something and it made her whole body tingle. She didn't care what Sans thought about her taking a peek at him, for real, and since she now had the change, there was nothing stopping her. Sela could sense his mood shifting, that with awkward admittance, he was willing to give her this much leeway. 

_*You encounter Sans the Skeleton_

_*Check *Talk *Act *Run_

That was strange. She focused on the check option. 

__***Sans the Skeleton – ATK 1 DEF 1**  
_***He wants to make things right.**_  
_***Can only deal 1 damage.**_  
_***Fears a RESET.**_  
_***Feels his sins crawling on his back.**_

Sela could see his soul now, only after checking him. It howered right before his chest, an upside down white heart, that had cracked and was riddled with something that resembled scars. The multitude of cracks shimmered in light blue and yellow color. It felt incredibly personal to see this, almost too much so. Sela had a feeling that not many had seen his soul at all, ever. She wondered how the thing even kept together.

With just a little bit of concentration, that Sela didn't even know she possessed, she could see his level, how much LOVE he held with that soul. It was alot more than she had anticipated, even when she didn't even know how much he could have. But this was something that.. he was willing to show her. She had a sense, that if he would have not wanted her to know, she wouldn't have been able to see. 

This was as far as she was ready to take this. Sela backed out of the information and could feel Sans ending the confrontation. Slowly all of the room bled back into reality with the stricken faces of the monsters and Penny. Sans turned his eyelights away from her, his shoulders hunched. 

Sela kept silent for a moment, her gaze at her own lap again. There was a strange throb in her soul. Now that she had seen the thing it felt like she was much more connected to it – seeing it made it a reality she could not escape or disregard.

The fact that there was Sans' fingerprint on her soul had not escaped her either. He had touched a part of her that was more personal than anything she could think of off the top of her head. He had seen.. everything. The anger she had been harboring for him flared for a moment but then simmered down. 

Sans was clearly more complex person that she had thought. He presented himself as a goof and a jokester and only showed his other sides when there wasn't any chance to hide them. But there was something even deeper, something more to him. He had kept it a secret from his own brother that he was the Judge in Underground. Papyrus had been so happy to hear it, so why had he kept it from him? 

And what in the world was a RESET?

Sela hated to think about him this much, she didn't want to but her mind seemed to have a .. well, a mind of it's own. But now was not the best time to do that, with all of the monster and Penny staring at her like that. She raised her eyes and sighed. 

”Well. What's the verdict? Any traces of him on my soul?” 

Now that she was looking at the bunch, their expressions varied wildly. Undyne looked enraged, Alphys had a look of horror on her reptilian face, Papyrus seemed weirded out, like he didn't know what to think and Penny looked to be thinking hard about something. It took alot to look at Sans. 

The shorter skeleton was looking at her, with a slight blueish blush and otherwise unreadable expression on his bony face. Like always, it was hard to tell what he was thinking but now it was even more clear to her that she was even more uncapable to decipher his thoughts. Before she had partly thought that it was because his face was bone, be it oddly mallable and expressive, but still. It wasn't as hard to read Papyrus and that was hardly a good comparison. The brothers were completely different kinds of personalities. 

”Not a thing, unless you count that hole.” Sans said quietly. 

Sela's eyes widened. So it was his doing? Sans seemed to pick up on her wordless question.

”It can't be anything but something he has done.. It was done a long time ago in any case, it's not recent. It's something he took when you were little.” 

”Ahh.. so that's how he did it.” Penny's eyes had narrowed and she bit her lips anxiously. 

”Yeah.. I.. saw it.” Sans offered, the memory rushing through his mind with clarity and disgust. Sela's face contorted in a similar emotion.

”I wonder why he didn't consume all of her then..” Penny turned, pacing the room.

Sans blanched. It was a valid question. Since he knew so much about his ”father” he was also pretty sure that there was something else at play. Gaster had never done anything by accident. Everything was planned and served a purpose only he knew the extent of. He wanted Sela for something. He had said that she was his and that could be only for the reason that Sela was given to him but he doubted that to be the whole answer. 

Sela shuddered at the other womans words and grumbled out a curse. 

”I don't even wanna know.” Sela's hands had constricted into tight fists. ”Let's move on with the cleansing then.”

 

After the cleansing had been done and the house smelled strongly of sage and smoke and Papyrus had buried the charms with Undyne everyone felt alot better. It seemed that even the saging had changed the overall feeling of the place, making it easier to breathe.

Sela was laying in her bed that had been moved to the study, most of the other stuff in the room had been crammed to the various closets of the house, some spare furniture swapped to her old bedroom. Penny said she would sleep there to give her some space. 

The monsters had left to their respective homes after a meal of spagetti (of course) that Undyne had prepared with the taller skeleton. Sans had been skulking silently around for the whole night and Sela had let him. It was somewhat easier now to have him around, with the soulconfrontation they had reached a slight peace between them.

Alphys had promised to start on the machine that would keep the energy levels on the lighter side that same night and seemed very impatient to get to her work.  
Her soul had not been discussed any further, as the monsters seemed rather shaken about the whole thing. The most important thing was, that Sans hadn't found anything in it that would make the saging totally useless. 

Sela still didn't think much of it, even if the feeling in the house had been lifted. The trauma she had suffered through wasn't something that a bunch of burning plants could solve or better. Having Penny there was something more concrete even when she was still wary of her. 

Graciously the woman had left her to her thoughts after everyone had gone home, saying she was tired too and withdrawing to upstairs with a promise that she would come if Sela called for her and needed anything.

It was good to have some reassurance that she wouldn't have to deal with anything alone.

Her wounds had started to ache from all the moving around she had been doing but a need for a smoke left her no choice but to pick up herself and limp carefully to the front porch of her house.

It was nice weather outside, warm, with wisps of mist crawling from the edge of the woods and her property. There was no wind at this hour and everything was peaceful. 

Sela fished a cigarette out of the pack on a sidetable and lit it with practised ease. She sat down with a hiss, thankful of the extra padding on the chair that Alphys had put there earlier. The back of her thighs burned uncomfortably but they were alot better than few days ago. The memories of the assault in the woods had been muddled in her mind, probably because of all that had followed. 

Inhaling the unhealthy smoke she leaned back in the chair, feeling how her anxiety was easing a bit. It wasn't the same anymore tho. Cigarettes had been a source of anxiety relief for a long time for her but being thrown in such a horrible course of events and memories, it helped alot less than before when she was just feeling something that she now concidered normal anxiety. 

Not that even that had been normal, but in comparison it was. Well, there was no comparison really now, was there? Sela spat on the lawn with a bitter grumble. What she wouldn't have given to not remember anything that had happened to her lately. She would have given almost anything. But she had nothing to give anymore, sans her life and that wasn't much. 

In a fit of desperate aggression she grabbed her arm, her nails digging in her skin. The pain was familiar, something that grounded her, making her break from that line of thought. 

”Fuck..” She muttered and sighed, chucking some ash from the cigarette to a tray on the table. 

She had died for a moment and almost given up. She had wanted to give up and simultaneously she didn't want that. She didn't want any of this, but that was beyond her needs and wants. Sela ran a hand through her hair, thinking about the choices she had and didn't have. 

She was running unnecessary circles around the facts and that was making her annoyed, but she couldn't help it. 

”Hey.”

Sela would have screamed if she hadn't been in the middle of taking another drag with her eyes halfway closed in annoyance. Her eyes flew open and she choked on the smoke for a moment.  
”You.. fucking.. I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT, ever!!” She tried to shoot up from the chair in anger but the wounds burned from the harsh movement and she wailed with another curse and sat back down.

”Eh.. sorry. Old habits. Hard to break, you know.” Sans looked and sounded apologetic and tired. The dark circles under his eyesockets were even more prominent in the dark of the night. The white lights that made up his eyes shone dimly. He looked very tired indeed.

”What are you doing here.” Her voice was cold and the skeleton flinched a bit.

”I got worried when you weren't in your bed.” 

”.. ” Sela shot an angry glare to him, making him shrivel even more. ”Came her just to spy on me while I sleep, not creepy at all.” 

Sans chuckled, the sound low, not louder than a whisper. ”Well, yes. I can admit to that, sorry. I was just worried.” 

Some of the anger that Sela was holding on to, bled out. ”You don't trust Penny's efforts then either?” 

The skeleton shrugged and sat down on the other chair. It was silent for a moment as he seemed to find the right words.

”I know him, she doesn't.” 

It was a pretty roundabout answer but Sela understood why. It was true and Sans didn't seem to want to insult Penny. At least the woman was trying to do something.

”..I also thought there might be a chance you'd be up and you'd let me talk to you finally.” Sans continued after a minute.

Sela sighed, resigned and turned towards him, locking eyes with him. She looked tired, too.

”It doesn't seem that you will let me _not_ talk to you, so fine. Talk.” 

Sans felt his soul make a hard beat and he breathed out, his eyelights shining a bit more brightly. 

”I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I dragged you back but you have to understand.. it wasn't something that I could not do, that's not who I am, Sela. Partly I was acting on instinct and yeah, that's no excuse for my actions. But can you really, _really_ blame me? Would you walk away if you saw someone dying? Someone you knew, someone who you considered even a little bit your friend?” 

Sela heard his bones rattle, he sounded sincere, he didn't want to lie or keep anything in the dark and that was something she could appreciate. 

”I promised to you that I cared, that I want to help and it still stands. I've been.. I've done.. There were times before where I could have.. no, _should have_ done more but I didn't and it didn't end well. I don't want to do that anymore. I don't want to be like that anymore.” 

He was tripping on his words, trying to find the point he was trying to get across and his whole frame was shuddering like he was in pain. His eyelights were flickering wildly with the admission. Sela wasn't sure what he was talking about but it seemed like something he had never talked about. Something serious had happened in his past, that was clear. 

”I feel like a part of this all is on me, you know. He.. I _killed_ him. If he hadn't died, he wouldn't have done everything he could to come back and any of this wouldn't have happened! I'm so sorry. I understand if you hate me.” His eyesockets slipped shut with a muted click and Sela's soul constricted with emotion. 

She wanted to hate him. She wanted nothing to do with anyone. She wanted everything to be normal, but nothing was and had never been. She wanted to understand why and she wanted to understand him. 

”Why did you kill him?”

Sans opened his sockets and studied her, his expression desperate. He had said that he wasn't a good monster, earlier when it had come to light who was attacking her but when she had talked to Alphys she got a feeling that it wasn't the whole truth. Even Sans' expression told her that there was more to it. The way she asked her question demanded him to tell her.

”I did it to protect Papyrus.” His voice was quivering, with his whole body. Sela acted, without thinking what she was doing, she grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. He had suffered because of him too. 

Sans seemed surprised, his hand slack first, but then he breathed and squeezed back.

”He created us for a reason and we were nothing more than something that he planned to use. We weren't his sons. Asgore wanted the barrier down and so did he. Asgore didn't know about us until much later and he didn't know why he had made us. Gaster wanted to know if he created something with a SOUL, if he would be able to make that soul stronger than a regular monsters soul. That meant he had to.. experiment. I was the first subjected to his experiments and.. they are the reason why I am like this. One of the most strongest and yet, simultaneously weakest monster in the world. During his experiments.. He wasn't gentle in any way.. I lost HOPE. It's something that keeps us monsters going, it makes up how much we can take, more physically but emotionally too.” 

Sela could see something glimmering on the sides of his sockets, were those tears? Her heart hurt to see him like this, even if she had been so angry at him only moments before. It wasn't right for anyone to hurt like that.

”After my HOPE deteriorated to just one point he had to stop or he would have killed me. I still had a use to him, I was a smart creation, I could still help him around the laboratory. He did try to make me gain more HOPE but that was.. hopeless.” Sans chuckled darkly. ”He had broken me effectively for a long time.. Then, after realizing that he couldn't make me recuperate, he turned his gaze to Papyrus.” Sans' voice broke on his brothers name. 

”I couldn't.. I couldn't let him destroy him like he had destroyed me. Like he had destroyed even some of his most fanatic followers and comrades. Papyrus was the one person who kept me going when I was younger, innocent and clueless and I didn't want to see that tarnished in any way. I had to keep him safe, that was the most important thing to me. So I planned and plotted and finally when I got the chance, I killed him.” Blue tears were now streaming down his face.

”And in saving my brother.. I condemned you to suffer. I'm.. sorry.” 

Sela stared at the skeleton monster. She could have hated him passionately for this but she wasn't stupid. This was not something that she could pin on him. Sans had not created Gaster, he had not made him do anything he did, he had tried to save his brother. How could he have ever imagined that Gaster would miraculously rise from the dead and start a new reign of terror? 

She couldn't even imagine what Gaster had done to him, something so bad that he had almost killed Sans. Something so bad that he had made his own creation, in a way – his own son, want to kill him. He too had suffered immeasurably because of him. If anything, it made Sela hate Gaster even more.

Carefully, Sela pulled Sans to her, hugging him, doing something she would have never thought about doing earlier today. His arms wound around her, his fingers scrunching to the back of her shirt and his face buried into her shoulder. He was trembling and so was she. 

”I don't hate you. I might be angry at you but I can't hate you. You couldn't have known this would happen, no one would have.” Sela whispered and she could feel him shudder, maybe in relief. 

”Thank you.” Sans muttered against her, giving another squeeze and let go. 

”That would be the first time someone thanks me for being angry at them.” Sela smiled a little bit and Sans chuckled. 

”You gonna be alright for the night?” 

Sela fished out another cigarette and Sans signed for one too. With a quirked eyebrow she handed him the pack and he took one. It might have been a little bit moot question but she understood why he was nervous. Nights had been the times when he seemed to strike. 

”I hope so.” 

”Can I stay over? I don't think I can with a clear consciense sleep home while leaving you without protection.” 

Sela was surprised he asked. He could always have waited until she fell asleep and sneak in, since walls and doors didn't hold him back. The whole talk had been more honest than what she had ever seen of him and that meant alot to her. Also knowing that he was powerful made her consider his proposition more than just to refuse him straight away. It would put him in danger but he had made it clear even before that he would do what he could and that was his choice to make.

If Gaster tried anything, there would be the extra protection of Penny and Sans combined. That had to count for something, right?

”Alright. I'll let you stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise that Sans once already told Sela what LOVE was, although I wrote it as LVL in the chapter where they find out who's attacking her and I will probably go back and adjust that chapter a bit. There's also been so much happening that would Sela really remember every detail? Probably not. 
> 
> Also, have a Dr. Gaster after a surprise visit from a tree trunk.  
> [https://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/post/169920058290/not-perfect-but-its-something-dr-gaster-is-not](url)  
> And some foreshadowing  
> [https://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/post/169326611745/i-just-should-have-chosen-a-easier-perspective](url)


	31. Pranks and Old "Pals"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was fumbling with placing Gaster in the timeline with Alphys and all this shit. I *actually* had to do some research but in the end, this is my interpretation and my fic and well, I'm not being overly canon in any case, least I don't feel like that. Hope you guys like it. And as always, comments are HIGHLY appreciated and you can still find me in tumblrlrlrlrlr.

 

Penny woke in the middle of the night. Nature was calling, the few cups of tea she had drank before retiring upstairs had done their job. Her sleep had been void of any dreams, which was always a good sign in her mind and she walked silently to the bathroom. 

After doing her business she headed back to Sela's old room but stopped midway. It might be a good idea to check on her cousin, if she was getting any sleep. It couldn't be easy to be back at the house where bad things had happened.

Penny sneaked down the stairs, peaking to Sela's study. Well, well. Penny smirked. There was a skeleton sleeping in a comfy armchair, facing towards the bed where Sela was sleeping peacefully.  
Sans slumped in the chair, a blanket thrown across his body and he seemed to be in a deep sleep too, his face slack and sockets closed.

She closed the door carefully and went back upstairs, pondering on the mystery the smaller skeleton was. 

He was so different from the other monster Penny had met today, that it really made her curiosity flare up, like an itch that begged to be scratched. One of the most powerful monsters of the Underground.. It made her wonder what he was really capable of. 

Sans had freezed her with ease back at the hospital and that was something she hadn't expected at all. Not that she had any experience with confronting monsters. 

Penny had had to learn to trust her instincts in her life and her instincts about Sans were all over the place, really. He seemed much more than what was on the surface and his and Sela's relationship seemed even stranger. She also could feel how little the monster trusted in her but that was to be expected. At least that was something she had gotten used to, with being a psychic herself. 

She stopped at the window in the bedroom and let her gaze sweep across the yard. Everything seemed to be in order. There were light tendrils of mist creeping on the lawn, stretching like ghostly fingers from the forest and to her, it looked more beautiful than ghastly. 

For some reason the forest made a chill run down her back though. Living in a bigger city in England she had always had buildings and people around her and a remote place like this was something she wasn't used to at all. The looming Mount Ebott in the background of the nightsky made her a bit nervous too. 

Even from this distance she could feel the residual power from the centuries of monsters being held under there, of the barrier that had once concealed their existence from the world. To her knowledge, there were many barriers around the world, each different and varying in their purpose, but this one had been one of the most powerful. 

Sometimes people with magical abilities had sealed things from this reality, mostly spiritual things, opened or closed portals but never actual, living and breathing creatures. Knowing how most people were – deathly afraid of things they could not understand, it wasn't a surprise to Penny that the monsters had suffered such an injustice, but it did beg to question.. Why? And how?

She had heard the barrier had been created by only seven human mages. A barrier of that magnitude should have required a much larger bunch, if not a whole nation.. but only seven? Unheard of. The thought that some people had had such an extraordinary amount of power made her back tingle. Imagine, what you could do with such power! 

Penny drew the curtains close and returned to the bed. Alphys would be bringing some machines later in the day to inspect the house with and she was exited to see the monsters creations. The lizard sure was a talented woman.

 

For almost two weeks Flowey had felt just _off_. More than normally, that is. 

He was watching over Frisk, who was sleeping peacefully in their bed, not a care in the world. How the child could sleep so well after all that they had gone through was an amazing feat, but then again, Flowey had never been able to sleep after waking up as a god damn flower. Not that it bothered him that much, being a plant gave him alot of freedom in its own way and he didn't really reminisce being Asriel that much. That was all in the past.

Besides, he really wasn't one for that much emotion. He still couldn't comprehend why Frisk had been so adamant to drag him up from Underground but it had been something different to do, so he had let them. Even if Flowey still harbored jealousy over the fact that Frisk had stripped him from his position as the most determined creature Underground, it had become very clear to him that it just wasn't worth the trouble to try and fight them. Frisk would always win.

Even if it meant he had to endure other monsters and humans and his old parents. Being trapped Underground would have turned boring really fast if he would have been alone there. 

Flowey yanked his roots up from the abominably decorated pot and scoffed at it with a withering glare. Any moment he was able, he abandoned it to move around. He hated the damn thing, and on the contrary of Frisk and the others thinking that he was tied to it somehow, he was well and able to move on his own accord. He wanted to keep it that way. Let them be as stupid and clueless as they were! It brought some satisfaction to him. 

He popped up outside the house, letting his roots burrow deep into the vast amount of earth and enjoying every second of it. But still, the odd feeling of something just not being right continued to bug him. He had an inkling that something strange was happening or had happened, because his amazing eavesdropping skills had let him hear Toriel and Asgore whispering about something that had happened to that weird human woman, that had so rudely bumped into them at the skeletrashs's houseparty. 

Also, Toriel had had to heal that same woman after that party and just looking at the smiley trashbag, he came to the conclusion that it wasn't a simple accident. And something had happened yet again after that. And again Sans had been an ass about it, not that he ever was that nice to him anyway. Toriel had been needed that time too and she had been completely shaken after that, refusing to talk about it at all. 

After that came the hospital business and everyone had gone to visit that woman there. Just looking at her and everyone else, Flowey was sure that it had been as serious as it could be. Not that he cared, he didn't. But it annoyed him immeasurably to not know what was going on. In Underground there hadn't been much that he missed since his best past time was to spy on people and manipulate them to his whims and to just plainly mess around. 

Now he couldn't do as much, he had to try and be as inconspicuous as possible. To the others he wanted to appear as harmless as a fly, even if it really irked him most of the time. Being sneaky had such advantages. Only Frisk and Sans, sadly, knew what he was capable of. 

And speaking of that skeletal mongrel, why the hell was he always there when something weird happened to that woman? Frisk seemed to think the trashbag was in love and that thought really made him dry-heave. Eugh, seriously a distrubing thought to him. Even if it gave him the possible opportunity to REALLY annoy the fuck out of Sans. 

He had a hunch that all of that had something to do with this feeling of foreboding and he didn't like it one bit. It felt like the atmosphere itself had somehow changed. Now that he was contemplating it this much made him realize something pretty surprising indeed. This feeling.. it wasn't new. He had felt like this before, many times. Even if his memory was pretty impeccable, the amount of timelines that he had lived through muddled some of his thoughts over time.. But yes, this was something that he had felt before, he was sure.

Every reset that had brought Chara into the forefront had had this same feeling of something not being right. Something was askew and the realization made him shudder in his roots. Had Chara come back? No.. that couldn't be it, Flowey was pretty sure that the shade of his former friend would have seeked him and Frisk out. So what could it be then? 

Flowey popped up nervously around the house in different locations, fuelled by his new thought that this was so familiar in a bad way. For a moment thoughts of Chara made him bitter. He wished they could have been redeemed somehow, but time and time again it had been made clear that it wasn't possible. At least, they couldn't make it happen. 

Even the amalgamates from the secret laboratory had bee... wait............  
….  
….

Flowey froze.

His little face glitched wildly with different visages, from horrified to mystified and about hundreds of different reactions.

The lab. ...G..a...s...t....e....r.....s laboratory. It wasn't.. It couldn't be possible? Was it? How? Why hadn't he thought about any of that in the two weeks span of time? Flowey scraped his face with thin vines that spurted from his stem. 

The former Royal Scientist had been wiped out of existence like a candles flame and somehow had managed to burst into life again. Only when he had thought about the old lab Flowey had remembered him, like a disconnected wire had reconnected in his head, making it flood with lost memories. 

In a way it was thanks to Dr. Gaster that he was what he was. Gaster was working on Asgores orders and delegating most of the determination experiments to Alphys before he disappeared, or more accurately, stopped existing. Flowey hadn't met him many times but he remembered him being a hard monster who made his back crawl. He had also been rather angry that Alphys had fucked up the experiment on making a vessel for a soul. 

Flowey also remembered that Sans was sometimes referred to as Gasters son, so it was no surprised he disliked that damn trashbag from the very start. Flowey didn't even want to imagine what kind of monster had decided to re-produce with someone like Dr. Gaster. 

His mind was racing with thoughts. If Gaster was suddenly existing again.. and there was this weird feeling.. did those two things have something to do with each others? What the hell was actually going on?

There was no way he could not snoop a bit and try to find out.

Determined to get to the bottom of this he slipped into the earth and traversed around a bit, popping out here and there, trying see if anything was going on. On the fourth time he peeked out of the soil he realized he should probably go to places that might wield some actual results. Since so much weird shit was happening around that human woman.. He fished for the name for a moment in his head, Sela, yeah that was right, he popped up on the Skeleton brothers yard. Sela lived next to them if he remembered correctly. 

Everything seemed rather peaceful and he stopped to gauge if it would be safe to snoop inside the homes. He was way too curious now to not go the whole way, if someone would see him he would deal with it ..somehow. 

Being a magical plant thing made it possible for him not to be impeded by other materials such as wood or concrete – he could travel through those just as easily as soil even if he preferred that. It was just another thing he liked to keep to himself from others. 

He peaked into Papyrus's bedroom, making out his unnervingly still, sleeping form. It seemed that skeleton monsters really did sleep like the dead, he chuckled to himself. Guessing which room was the trashbag's, he peaked in there too.. finding nothing. A quick look to every room proved that the house was sans Sans. Strange.

Flowey popped into Sela's yard and considered the house on the property with a scowl. There was a good possibility that the boney bastard was inside and he did NOT want to see anything.. unsavory. He shuddered and spat a bit. No, not thinking about that further. 

Still, he just had to take a peak. 

He traversed inside and carefully studied the room. Looked like a pretty normal livingroom, with a couch and few armchairs, bookcases filled with books and random crap, tv, stereo, everyday things that almost any place like that held. The kitchen was spotless, seemingly just cleaned. Everything was silent.

A muffled rustle made him freeze for a moment. The sound quieted down and he dared to move again, slithering towards it with his now small roots. There was a door on the side of a staircase to the second story that was opened just a bit. He was sure the sound came from there and he peeked in. Jackpot.

It didn't matter that the room was rather dark – he had excellent nightvision. The woman, Sela, was sleeping on a big bed that dominated the room, tossing restlessly for a moment. Her expression was distressed. And the missing skelebro was sleeping in a armchair. Eugh, Flowey mentally gagged. At least they weren't _in the same bed_. His mind would have been eternally traumatized. 

The temptation to do somekind of a prank to rattle the useless bag of bones was irresistable. It would be justice for all the ruthless pranks he had conducted on him when he had done his runs Underground. And that was leaving out all the times Sans had actually murdered him in cold blood. But that hadn't happened right away, it had taken some time for the witless idiot to understand what was even going on. After that.. it became a dangerous thing to be a flower anywhere near him. 

A demonic smirk spread across his little face as he stared the sleeping skeleton. Time for some pay-back. 

Flowey worked as silently as he could manage, freezing when either of them moved in their sleep and trying to hold in a demented giggle. Oh this was gonna be _good_! He wished he could stay to see the reactions but he wagered that just knowing was pretty damn great too.

 

After accomplishing his little prank he popped back out and let out a low chuckle. Not entirely useless trip, after all. Maybe snooping around the lab in Underground would be a good idea too. He really didn't want to go there as the place was really creepy and now that the Underground was almost completely abandoned it would only make it that much worse but he wasn't ready to give up yet. There was still time until morning broke.

He steeled himself and traversed all the way back to the place, popping out in one of the larger rooms, that held multiple beds in rows in the middle. It was dark and dead silent there too. Nothing seemed disturbed as he looked around but to be sure he would have to check all the rooms. 

Slithering around and peeking into rooms resulted him with.. nothing. It was as dead as a graveyard. One room had been clearly rummaged through, Alphys's old study, she had at least come back for something. There were pieces of metal and some abandoned tools laying around and papers scattered on the table. Nothing that interested him that much. 

Again a muffled noice somewhere further down the corridor made him perk up. Were the amalgamates here still? No, that couldn't be it. Flowey tip-toed with his roots towards the disturbance in the silence of the lab. 

A shiver of apprehension shook his petals as he neared, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.. Before he wisened up and disappeared back into the floor the door of the room he was going towards to, flew open with force. Red-hued purple eyes locked to his and he could feel his whole being freezing up. 

_**Well, well. Who do we have here.** _

What the hell was he seeing? Flowey shivered. This wasn't right, not right at all. He stared at the thing in the doorway. It was something that resembled Dr. Gaster but not quite.

He was as tall as the former scientist had been, but there was something very different about him. He wasn't a skeleton monster like he used to be. Somehow he had accumulated muscle, appearing even more powerful and intimidating. His face was mostly the same, except his head was bandaged, with new cracks running from the old headwound and on the same side of his face his jaw had clearly taken some damage too. The wounds looked fresh. 

The burn in his eyelights was new too. His stare was so intense that it made Flowey extremely concerned. Gaster had always been kinda intense for a monster but now it was multiplied immeasurably, he couldn't brake the eyecontact at all.

”You!” Flowey managed to force his voice to work finally. 

_**It has been a long time, Asriel. How have you been?** _

His voice was changed too. It was dark.. darker, oddly distorted and it made him think of himself when he wanted to sound scary. The way he spoke and asked his question was not at all pleasant, like he mocked the whole meaning of asking how he was doing. This thing did not clearly care one ounce how he had been.

”.. don't call me that!” 

_**Ah yes. Pardon my mistake, Flowey the Flower. Asriel is no more, nor should you. You are simply a mistake that that lowly lizard managed to pervert from a flower. A soulless being. It must be a hollow existence.** _

Flowey squinted his eyes angrily, his own face shifting into a hostile one. That made the horrid creature before him smile unpleasantly, vicious teeth baring into the dark.

”How the hell are you back?” 

_**What? Not elated to see me, how.. disappointing. Never mind the logistics, I have returned and that is what matters. What are you doing here in the middle of the night, if I may inquire. To my knowledge you have accompanied little Frisk top ground, have you not?** _

”Hah, like I would tell you! I do what I want.” Flowey extended his petals with anger. This new Gaster was even more annoying and patronizing as his old self.

Dr. Gasters smile split even wider, his eyes flashing and he leaned closer to the flower. 

_**Still as abrasive and juvenile as ever, I see. Perhaps.. you came for a reason?** _

”Just wanted to see if it was true. That you were back.” Flowey bit back, growling at the thing. He wasn't sure yet what to think about this new being. If it would have wanted to kill him, he might have done that instantly. 

Gaster hummed in acknowledgement and shifted closer. 

_**And how did you come to the conclusion that I was back?** _

”I was thinking about the lab and I remembered. Before that.. I didn't even remember you existing. So I got curious. How the fuck does someone stop existing and then blib back? Just had to do some snooping around.” He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. 

Gaster had to be the fourth person to actually make him feel scared after becoming Flowey. After that only Chara, Sans and Frisk had scared him. And Flowey did not want to admit that to anyone, ever. 

_**Intriguing, truly. You would have to ask Sans about that.**_

Flowey burst into a surprised laugh. ”Smiley trashbag dunked on you too?? Well color me frickin' surprised! For someone who Judges others he sure has alot to be judged for, too, pffft. What a joke!” He wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his beady eye with a leaf. 

_**It appears so.**_ Gaster chuckled. _**As much fun as this run-in has been, I must be on my way. And I'm afraid this will have to stay between us.**_

The look on Gasters face was enough incentive for Flowey to actually react in time. There was no mistaking the murderous, cold flash in those eyes. Flowey popped under the floortile just in time to evade a dark tendril shooting up from beside him. Traversing as far away from the thing, he could hear his multitoned snarl in the lab. That was way too close for comfort, he should have been much more careful and take his leave earlier. 

Flowey escaped all the way back to home, climbing into the now very much safe-looking pot on Frisks bedside table. He hoped he hadn't made a huge mistake in confronting Gaster. Would he come looking for him and off him? And dust everyone else too? He wasn't scared.. he wasn't! It would just be.... really.. really boring. Yeah, that's what it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dirty Tumblr Void - 
> 
>  
> 
> [https://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/](url)
> 
> Oh, an wild afterthought appears - 10 points and something nice to the person who guesses what prank Flowey plays on Sans >:D


	32. When it comes down to Determination..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *makes waves* Wohoo, another chapter, somewhat in time, would you lookit that! Also, almost 200 followers strong in Tumblr is approaching and when that happens there's gonna be an art raffle, so keep your eyes open if you want to get a chance to get some art goodness of your choice!  
> Aaaanyway, I hope you like this one.

 

Sela woke to a ray of sunshine peaking through the blinds into her new bedroom, groggy and still tired. All night long she had been plagued with nightmares that she just couldn't wake up from. It was clear that being here stressed her out and she truly hoped that it wouldn't be a recurring thing. At least nothing worse had happened.

She pushed herself up a bit, hissing when the stitches pulled at her legs and the pain seemed to start to wake with her. She had to get to the painkillers. 

Or maybe Sans would get them for her if she asked. Her legs were really burning up. She turned her gaze towards the armchair Sans had claimed when they came back in from the porch and her eyes narrowed. What the hell was all over him? Was that.. ..

”SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNSSSS!” 

The skeleton in question jumped up, eye flaring to life and pieces of choice clothing flying all around the armchair. One stuck to his shoulder and dangled down, swaying for a moment.

A moment later Penny burst into the room and stood at the doorway, mouth hanging open.

”What. The. Fuck.” Sans' eyes moved wildly in every direction, seeing the things he was covered in. Womens panties and bras. There were SO many of them, on the floor, on the armchair, in his lap, one bra hanging from him. The lights in his eyes went out altogether and the mortification etched on his face was priceless. 

A second later Penny started to howl with laughter, while Sans tried desperately to clear himself off of the undergarments. 

Sela growled. What the hell, how was every piece of her underwear drawer on him? What the hell was going on? Had that fucking creep really gone through them in the dead of the night, while watching her? The thought made her face twist with a mixture of disgust and rage. 

”I didn't, .. Sela, ya hafta believe me, I wouldn't, I don't know what happened!” Sans was blabbering through Pennys howling.

”Then how the fuck did all of my underwear end up on your LAP!” Sela shouted. The anger was quickly starting to turn into shame and she was blushing furiously. She would have leapt up and started to gather the items up herself but that wasn't a possibility right now. ”Did _you_ have something to do with this??” Sela turned to Penny who instantly stopped laughing, waving her hands defensively.

”No! No I didn't, besides there wasn't any on him when I checked on you in the middle of the night.” She dashed to help Sans gather up the things.

”Fantastic. Another fucking mystery.” Sela grumbled. 

It seemed Sans had turned completely blue at this point, squatting down with Penny who was smirking at him knowingly. 

”Well they didn't just magically teleport to his lap, that's for sure!” Sela's voice wavered with indignation. Penny just started to laugh all over again, watching the practically glowing skeleton monster fumbling around. 

He was gathering the things but dumping them on the chair as fast as he could, like he was trying to juggle something that was on fire. 

”I.. ahh, eh, I'm so sorry.” he managed to mumble again.

”You guys know what this means, no?” Penny was wiggling her eyebrows at them and Sans turned his still dark sockets to the woman. ”Maybe there's still a ghost in the house!” she giggled again.

Sela heaved a long sigh. ”Yes, very funny. Seriously though – You know what this really means? Someone was here and not one of us woke up.” Sela's tone of voice was low and dark. 

”Seems so.. at least they didn't do anything that terrible?” Penny mused, helping Sans to gather up the garments. 

”Maybe not but it's still serious. I'm quite a light sleeper, ya know.” Sans managed to finally say, without sounding absolutely wrecked over the obvious prank. On another day he would have even laughed and slapped the offending persons back. ”There's not really anyone I could think off that would pull shit like this.. Undyne maybe, on a better time and I'd doubt she could make it without making any sound but this just boggles the mind.” 

Sela tried to get up, she really did need those painkillers right about now. She was getting nervous too and she didn't think that taking a drink with pills this early would go down well with these two watching over her. Getting up was proving to be close to impossible and finally Penny noticed her struggling.

”Stay put, just tell me what you need.”

”Painkillers. My legs are killing me. Too much moving yesterday.” 

”I'll make some coffee.” Sans exited the room in Penny's wake, leaving Sela to simmer in annoyance.

Sela wiped her face, muttering cursewords. Okay, the prank was pretty harmless but it still unnerved her that there had been someone here. There was no telling who it had been and even when she was positive that this mystery person had not been Gaster, it left her to wonder. Besides, they had had to find her undergarments and actually fricking touch them in order to put them on Sans. She did not want to imagine anyone doing shit like that. 

The cautious, withdrawn and cynic side of her was questioning if Sans was just lying. She knew he could be a bit of a creeper, besides they hadn't even known that long, and the monster was reserved enough himself that there was a possibility.. But after the talk they had last night.. Sela was inclined to actually battle her distrusting thoughts about him. He had shown her something acutely truthful. He wouldn't be so stupid that he would immeadiately brake that trust like that. 

Maybe it was Penny then? She didn't know that much about her personality-wise either, even less than about Sans. She seemed to find this suspiciously funny, after all. Maybe a slip in judgement, maybe some other weird ulterior motive she wasn't yet aware of. It was looking more and more feasible the longer Sela thought about it. Besides, Sela had noticed her staring at Sans funny multiple times. Maybe she wanted to give a little payback for how Sans reacted to her soul, back in the hospital.

Sela huffed. Well she would make it clear that she did not appreciate that kind of behaviour in her home. 

After few minutes Sans brought her the sorely missed pills with a cup of coffee. 

”Thanks.” 

He still looked rather shaken and the eyelights in his sockets were small and dim. 

”I believe that you didn't do it, don't worry.” Sela patted his shoulder. ”Besides, I'm not some teenager that thinks that someone seeing their underwear is the worst thing in the world. I'm much more worried about the fact that someone managed to do this without any of us noticing.” 

The lights in his eyes got brighter. ”Mm. Worried 'bout the same thing.” 

It was so hard to now even imagine how angry she had been at Sans merely half a day ago. Guess the monster had really made an impression on her last night, more than Sela had initially even thought. Seeing a grown skeleton cry.. it was something alright. All these different emotions on such a wide spectrum was giving her whiplash.

”I suspect it was Penny..” Sela whispered to Sans. 

He looked at her, his browbones jumping up. He could see her reasoning behind that deduction. Penny was someone who they didn't know that well, she was present in the house and had at least been downstairs once to peak at them. Maybe she was that mischievous. Time would tell.

”Are ya gonna be alright here with her? I gotta go and help Alphys with that machine.” 

Sela nodded. ”Yeah.. just. Keep your phone close by.” 

”Sure thing.. I'll see ya later.” Sans smiled, clearly much more relieved on being on good terms with her. The skeleton blipped out of the room, his magic making a small sound that echoed in the room. What a show-off.

 

Sans appeared in his bedroom, letting out a sigh. 

He was dead sure that he had never been that mortified and relieved in such a short span of time. He scraped his neck for a moment, texting to Alphys that he would be ready soon. The scientist texted back so fast that it made him chuckle. Not any surprises there, Alphys having her phone practically glued to her hand. There would be even time for a shower. Something that he desperately needed.

Sela was also probably right about Penny. Sans could not come up with anyone who would have pulled such a dirty prank so succesfully. It begged to question Penny's morals for sure. Maybe she was trying to make light of the situation through some really confusing means. Sans would be keepind a close eye on her, even more resolutely.

Standing under the spray of the water in the shower his mind kept wandering back to Sela. Sans hand't thought he could turn her mind around that fast. The week he had spent in the hospital corridor, desperately wanting to talk to her had really did his head in. The fear, that she would never let him near again had built upon itself every damn day and now that he had had the chance to explain things it just felt like a weight had rolled off of him. 

Not that he had planned to divulge as much as he ended up doing. And god damn if it wasn't the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He never talked to anyone about his problems. But it had worked and that was what he had hoped for. Even more, he had felt the echo of understanding deep down in her soul and that was a big deal. 

Before her soul had been veiled in that barrier and even when she was in the hospital recovering it had been next to impossible to get a sense from her soulwise. Sans was pretty sure it had to do with her anger, her not wanting him near at all. Something had opened up in her with that soulconfrontation, a bridge that she was willing to extend to him. His own confession had opened up that tentative connection even more. 

He had taken a quick, secret peak at her soul before he had gone home. Just to see how she was really doing and he had been surprised. His own mark on her soul, the print of his phalange had been ..brighter. Sans knew he should probably tell her about it but it also made him a little apprehensive. What if she would be angry, if she would try to close the connection? Sans knew he had no right to any connection as deep as that, but he could not for the life of him deny that it didn't make his bones vibrate with a strange feeling that he didn't dislike entirely.

After the shower and a quick breakfast with Papyrus he met up with Alphys in the little laboratory Undyne had built for her. Hers was in the basement of their house and it looked so pristine it almost hurt Sans' eyes. It was a small wonder Alphys hadn't already filled it with all kinds of anime posters like her old place back in the Underground. Guess the amount of time she had to spend at the university's laboratory didn't give her alot of time to work on her own pursuits. 

The small monster was visibly vibrating with nervous energy, as she was going over her initial blueprints and ideas, which Sans found almost impeccable, he had to only suggest few small modifications. Alphys really did know her way around machinery. She even told him she had gone back Underground to get some essential materials from the old lab. Sans was extremely happy that she hadn't gone alone, Undyne had been there to watch over. 

Gaster was still at large and he had no idea if they could even capture him, much less hold him somewhere. But.. if Penny's efforts proved to be succesful, and if their machine would help with it, there might be a possibility to end this bullshit. They all had a clear goal in mind and if they worked at it together, there was no telling what they could accomplish. 

It was a foreign feeling for Sans, to feel any hope, but it was there, even if it was faint. 

After working continuously for few hours they had already managed to put up a initial model of the machine. They would try how it worked and if it needed some work still, they would adjust it accordingly. The thing was a lean, metallic box, inside were high powered lights in certain wavelengths projecting into selected crystals from Underground that Alphys had used in somewhat similar fashion in other projects. When the light hit the crystals from certain angles, it was supposed to make them vibrate as they produced a more refined energy that the machine streamed into its environment, hopefully rising the levels of energy. 

The box was adorned with few dials to adjust the amount of light targeted to the crystals and respectable dials for the crystal, to optimize their position. It was nothing super fancy, but it didn't have to be. Even humans had figured that different spectrums of light worked for numerous different purposes, like photography. 

”Y..you really sh..should come a..and get your deg..degrees validated one day, Sans.” Alphys wiped sweat from her forehead, putting down a welding tool and inspecting the last seam she had sealed. 

”Still not giving up?” Sans winked at her, making the lizard blush and almost drop her tools.

”Never!” 

”Ya do understand why I have a bit of.. bad memories about my lab days now, don't ya?” Sans sighed. He had almost promised Alphys already but now it just seemed like a really distant possibility. 

”Yeah.. But don't t..throw all o..of that away, that wo..would be stupid! Don't let h..him spoil y..your talents for you. Undyne s..says that that would be j..just su..submitting and ha..handing over your d..defeat outright. ” 

Sans stared at Alphys. When had she, or Undyne become that perceptive? And Alphys.. even if she still stuttered this badly, had managed to actually grow bolder, back in the Underground she wouldn't have ever said something like that to him. She had been way too timid. 

”Heh. You just might be right, Alphys. Thanks.” His voice was subdued, eyelights cast down. 

”We..well. You g..guys didn't give u..up on me, even if I di..did all those m..mistakes with the Amalgamates. You sh..shouldn't give up e..either.” 

Sans didn't know what to say. Feeling any hope was such a foreign concept to him, because of Gaster, because of Flowey, because of Frisk. The moment they had managed to see the sky above them had been simultaneously horrifying and excuisite. What if it was ripped from him? He had been _so incredibly scared_ for many days. Then he had just slipped into the state of lethargy, just waiting for the inevitable to happen. 

When it didn't happen he finally talked to Frisk about it, making them promise that they wouldn't RESET anymore and they had kept their promise.. That thought brouhgt something important to the forefront of his mind. Why had he not thought about that earlier? Sudden anger bloomed in his soul, making him clap his bony palm to his face and groaning and aggravation, making Alphys squeek with surprise. 

He should have talked to Frisk. Ask if they were still making SAVEs. What if they were making those? Did they still have the ability? His soul froze over and his eyelights sputtered out. Frisk could have.. could have.. could they have prevent any of this Gaster business from happening? Was it possible? His mind was racing like crazy. He didn't think that any amount of LOADing would prevent Gaster from taking a piece of Sela's soul in her childhood since it happened such a long time ago. 

But would it be possible to save Sela from an attack?

Sans came to, feeling how Alphys was shaking his arm frantically. ”S..Sans, wh..what's happening?” 

”I gotta go.” He shook his arm from her claws and teleported straight into Toriels livingroom. 

The former queen was sitting on a large armchair, playing some game with Frisk and Flowey. For a moment the weed looked extremely terrified but a sneer soon took over his little face.

”Sans! What a pleasant surprise...” The words died on Toriels lips as she saw how haggard Sans' expression was.

”I need to talk to Frisk. Now. Upstairs.” He said, no, commanded. His finger pointing to Frisk and then to the stairs. 

Toriel was shocked, mouth hanging open and staring first at Sans and then to her adopted child. Frisk signed for her to stay put and then they followed Sans upstairs with Floweys pot in their hands. 

He could hear the goatmonster muttering to herself but she didn't follow them.

As soon as Frisk came inside their room, Sans shut the door firmly.

”When was your last SAVE?” 

”Not even a 'hello'? Wow, that a new low, Trashbag, even from you.” Flowey sneered, leaning towards him. 

”I'm not gonna grace that with an answer. Shut it, weed, I'm talking to Frisk.” Sans snapped at the flower that was now sporting his most hostile, unpleasant face.

”You just did. _Trashbag_.” 

Frisk pinched his stem, making the flower grumble and put the pot down. They were chastising him sternly, like a parent. 

”Fine. What ever.” Flowey turned around, crossing his leaves in a familiar pout, ignoring them both.

”So?” Sans' eyelights were tight and bright, fixed on Frisks dark, squinted eyes. They started to sign carefully.

_I haven't SAVEd. You made me promise and I wanted to keep that promise, Sans. The last SAVE is few days after the barrier broke._

Could he believe that? But it would LOAD the timeline far enough that Sela wouldn't have to suffer through Gasters attacks. Sans worried his bony lip with his teeth, something he rarely did when anyone was looking. Frisk was watching them, brow furrowed in concern.

”Is it possible.. to.. LOAD?” Sans breathed out, his hands shaking with withheld emotions. Frisk gasped and Flowey swiveled around.

”What the fuck? Listen, Trashbag, are you even hearing yourself? You, asking for a LOAD?” 

He was well aware how absurd the request was, how totally mental he appeared but there was no real good way to explain to these two the severity of the situation. He still wasn't that sure if they had ever matured really from their childlike state. Even if he didn't even know how old Frisk _actually_ was. How the hell could he explain rape to someone like that? No way. 

”I know how it sounds, kid. There's some real bad stuff going on and I want to try and prevent it.” He didn't even have a good plan. He wanted a chance. How would he even go about it? He wouldn't be able to just waltz up to Sela, claim that he knew what would happen and shit no, he would have to explain and he did not want to do that. Maybe he could try and protect her, keep her in his eyes all the time. No that was an incredibly stupid idea too, she would ask questions, he remembered how reserved she was usually. Sans rubbed his face, the scraping sound making Flowey shudder.

”Bad stuff. Yeah, that's an understatement. What if it's a bad LOAD? What then, idiot?” Flowey snapped. 

The blue flicker of Sans' eye made him back up a bit.

”What do you mean.” 

”Y..you know what a bad LOAD is!” Flowey was starting to shiver. A blue sheen of Sans' magic enveloped the flower, yanking him forward.

”Not that, **t h e u n d e r s t a t e m e n t**.” His voice dipped low, the menacing timbre making Frisk back up a bit. Flowey looked absolutely terrified and.. guilty. 

”Ahehhehhee.. well.. I know Dr. Gaster is .. back.” The flower coughed the words up, like they were hard to say. 

Sans pulled Flowey towards him with lightning speed, snapping his skeletal fingers around the narrow stem, yanking him out of the pot and bringing him right infront of his face, socket sputtering madly with magic. 

Frisk launched towards them both, their hands gripping pleadingly to Sans' hoodie. He knew they didn't want him to hurt Flowey. Oh, but he wanted to. The little shit knew something and he was gonna get to the bottom of this.

”Explain.” He straightened himself, letting out a frustrated sigh. He gave Flowey back to the pot that Frisk was waving frantically and the flower burrowed his roots back into the soil. There was a tell-tale teardrop in the creatures eye, he had really managed to scare him. Good. Sans had very little sympathy to spare towards him.

”I went back to the true lab.. and I ran into him. Or it. It tried to kill me!” Flowey griped. 

_How did you do that? Why did you do that?_ Frisks hands were flying with frantic speed, as they butted in.

 _I thought you couldn't move that well without me carrying the pot? And why the labs, what business did you have there?_ If signing with hands could sound disappointed and.. hurt, Frisk certainly managed. They also exuded those feelings with little frustrated puffs of air and facial expressions. 

”Because! I.. yeah... I can move fine without the pot. Surprise.” The flower scowled. ”And I just remembered him. I was thinking about stuff and he just popped back into my memory, it was weird! So I wanted to know what was going on and went there.” 

_That was so reckless, Flowey!_ Frisk signed, their mouth in a pout. No one was happy with this.

”Reckless. Sure, how about outright stupid.” Sans quipped and Flowey shot him a dirty look.

”You're the one to talk about reckless! Horsecrap. I asked the Gaster thing how he was back and he just said to ask _you_.” 

Frisk turned to Sans and squinted their eyes even further, untill they were mere lines in their face. Sans could feel his sins crawling on his back – far too recurring feeling lately, in his opinion. 

”Yes. I know how he is back and all that already, but I can't really explain it in detail. Let's just say he did something really horrible and had to pay for it. How he managed to slither back was even more horrible. That is the extent you two need to know about it.”

”Like murdered someone?” Flowey sneered and Sans narrowed his sockets. ”Takes one to know one.” the flower went on. 

”Pretty rich coming from you, **d i r t y b r o t h e r k i l l e r**.” 

_Please, let's not go into that. Sans, please, just.._ There were tears in Frisks eyes and for a moment Sans didn't want to reign in himself. He wanted to reach into that anger, to that old rage that was still simmering inside his soul. Even if it hadn't technically happened in this timeline, it had happened, too many times for him to just forget, much less forgive.

”So. You want Frisk to LOAD to prevent what exactly. Gaster coming back?” Floweys voice was laced with venom.

”Naw.. that I can't prevent anymore. But it has something to do with him.” 

”You are really willing to loose all this.. progress over some human?” Flowey gaped. Even Frisk perked at that comment. ”I'm not that stupid you know. I knew something was going on and seeing that thing.. it wasn't hard to put two things together.” 

Sans was pinching his nasal ridge between his phalanges. Damn, he really should concider Flowey with more care than he usually had the energy to. He hated the weed but he wasn't stupid. Sans should always remember – never to underestimate him. 

_Are you sure about the LOAD? Would it really help?_

Sans sighed. No, he wasn't sure, but he had to look through every option, didn't he? He really needed to stop lying to people too. 

”Maybe.” He shrugged. 

_Alright. I'll do it, but just because I don't want anything bad to happen._

Frisk stilled, eyes closed all the way and Flowey slumped in his pot. Sans could feel the disappointment as a heavy veil in the air. Would it really even help? He was starting to second guess himself. Before he could say anything Frisks eyes shot open all the way, an echo of red hue making them flash in the room. Sans stumbled back a little bit and even Flowey flinched.

_I can't! The LOAD option isn't there! I can see my SAVE but I can't access it at all.._

”That's.. bad.” Flowey's uncharacteristic whisper made Sans shiver in his slippers. Bad indeed. That could mean only one thing. There was someone around that had even higher level of Determination and he could take a lucky guess with who it was. 

”I'm sorry kid. We might be in a real pickle..” 

Frisk was shaking now, grappling Floweys pot hard to themself.


	33. Coming to Conclusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello - I'm HibernalBeast (you can call me HB) and I'm shit at coming up with chapter titles. *bashes keyboard uselessly*  
> Some days it's just.. extraordinarely difficult. Have a chapter, anyway!

 

Many half-assed explanations later Sans finally left the ex-Queens household. They couldn't exactly tell everything to Toriel, even now. That would have taken so much time and revealed things that Sans did not want to go into. It was hard, Sans knew that Frisk wanted to tell their mother figure everything, even the real bad stuff, but pitted against Sans and Flowey, they had admitted that it might be better not to do that. 

It was a strange thing to be on the same side with Flowey on that coin, something that Sans would have never guessed would happen. How could they have explained the RESETs and LOADs and different timelines where things were.. bad. Sans shook his head minutely. A can of worms he did not want to open in Toriel's presence. 

This whole situation was a can of worms the extent of only probably Gaster knew. It was interesting that Gaster had tried to kill Flowey almost right away. What was he doing in the labs? Did he go there often? Remembering that Alphys and Undyne had visited the same damn place earlier caused a wave of dread run through his bones. If they would've had real bad luck, they could have ran into him too and they did not possess Flowey's ability to retreat so efficiently. 

He had to get Asgore to put up guards in the lab and he would have to take on the task to repair all the surveillance equipment in there with Alphys. If Gaster visited the lab often, they could perhaps catch him in the act. And then what? Sans felt so horribly guilty. Even if Sela didn't think so, he still felt it was partly his fault. 

If there were guards there, he would attack, and Sans had the feeling that they would be outnumbered no matter how many monsters would be pitted against Gaster. Even Flowey had said it – he was wrong, he was worse and the way the little creature shivered just made Sans' soul constrict in dread. He knew Flowey was actually more powerful than many of the monsters in the Kings guard. Was there even something that he himself could do? Sans didn't know and was questioning his desire to find out. 

Only one that Gaster had not attacked, was Grillby, and even that had been a close call. Maybe it was time to ask him to join the ”crusade”, so to speak. If only the situation had been different, maybe he could have tried to be a hero and just.. deal with Gaster himself, without putting anyone else in danger and Stars, if it wasn't a tempting choice even now. There were just too many unvariables.

Sans didn't know what Gaster's endgame was. Why was he back? There was no telling what he wanted Sela for, or if it was even the only thing that he was doing. If the monster was rummaging through the truelabs, there was most likely something he was up to. The fact, that his ”father” hadn't come straight at him for killing him was baffling enough. Just showed that there were probably many things he wasn't aware of.  
Sans blipped through the void, back to Alphys' lab, scaring the woman.

”S..Sans! What t..the hell ha..happened?!” she was panting, holding her sternum with paled hand.

She seemed to be in the middle of building a smaller version of the same machine they had been working on, when Sans had had his moment of realization. 

”Ah, yeh, sorry about that, Alph. I had to check something out with Frisk and Flowey and would ya fucking believe it, the flower ran into our dear old Doc in the true labs last night?”

”... w..what?” Alphys' voice climbed few octaves, coming out high and strung. Her eyes seemed to almost pop from their sockets in shock. She was clearly thinking about what Sans had earlier realized, that they had been in very much danger by even going in there. 

”Yep. So no going there alone, capiche? We need to get some things done regarding that. If he's prancing around there god knows when, we need to know about that shit. I don't know if we should ask Asgore to put guards there because.. ya know, obvious reasons.. and we need to get the surveillance there going perfectly.” Sans rattled of, gathering various tools in a bag that was lying on the floor next to the smaller machine Alphys had built. 

”W..what if we bu..built even smaller mac..machines for t..the guards to have?” the look in Alphys' eyes was far away, concentrating on the possibilites of utilizing their invention for another use. It was a good idea, but there was one problem with it.

”We still don't know if it will even work.” Sans sighed. He was determined not to send monsters against Gaster without knowing they'd have some protection. 

”W..well we can't ex..exactly just call him and t..test this thing on h..him, can we. It's s..s..still better than nothing, Sans.” 

”I know, I know. It's just.. ” he rubbed his face again, bone scraping against bone, ”I don't want to put anyone into danger. If I could, I'd just do this all alone.” he admitted after a moment.

”S..Sans.” Alphys walked up to him, her voice surprisingly stern. ”Dr. Gaster i..is not j..just your pr..problem no matter h..how you put it! We n..need to figure so..something out!” 

Sans groaned. Alphys was right. It was strange seeing her like this, so determined and .. brave. It made him feel incredibly proud of the monster. She had come so far, without him even noticing before this day. It just made his own disposition so much more prominent. For so long he had been lost in his own pain and misery, unable to really connect to anything around him. The fact that it had taken this much shit to happen to shake him out of it really did make him feel ashamed. 

”Yeah.. I know. First we need to get those cameras and motion detectors going in the lab before we tackle that guard problem.” One thing at a time, rushing would not help anyone at this point. 

”I'll call Sela and tell her we're gonna be a little bit late.” he fished his cell out of his hoodies pocket.

 

Peace and quiet. Would have been nice, but that just wasn't on the table for Sela, not anymore, it seemed.

She was sitting on the sofa with Papyrus, as Penny was making a list of everything they needed from the town. Last nights spaghetti had been most of the last things in her cabinets and a groceryrun was necessary. Sela wasn't in the shape to go down to the town and since Sans had called that he and Alphys had something to take care of, and would be late, Penny had decided that she would go do just that. 

She had been adamant that Sela needed to have someone to keep her company and no amount of telling her otherwise seemed to work, so Penny had fetched Papyrus, who was of course beyond elated to be called for ”guard-duty” as he put it. The tall skeleton was bouncing exitedly next to her and Sela was happy that her couch was good enough that the movement didn't jostly her too much. Despite the painkillers she had been practically inhaling since she woke up, (she sure missed the meds they gave her at the hospital, compared to the over the counter ones) she was still uncomfortable. 

Her life had been filled with pain lately, thanks to that _demon_ , that her personal limit had been crossed a LONG time ago. Every second she had to endure more, made her irritable and just done with everything all together. She had talked to Penny about the underwear incident, and the woman had adamantly denied that she had anything to do with it and Sela had dropped it after a while, making herself clear for the last time to the woman, that she would not tolerate any weird crap in the future.

It was hard to tell if Penny was hurt of her accusation, she didn't show it if that was the case. She seemed awfully nonplussed by the fact that Sela was so certain she did it. 

”So, should we do something?” Sela turned her gaze to Papyrus, after Penny had exited the door and left them. 

”OF COURSE! I BROUGHT SOME MOVIES, SINCE YOU'RE STILL RECUPERATING AND CAN'T ACTUALLY DO MUCH.” The skeleton was smiling so brightly it almost hurt her eyes.

”Oh, that's very considerate of you. What'd you bring?”

”THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOTHING BUT THE MOST CONSIDERATE, YES. I BROUGHT THE NEWEST MOVIES FROM METTATON! I WASN'T SURE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT METTATON'S WORKS ARE SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE SURELY ENJOYS!” Again there were actual little, sparkly stars dancing around his sockets, which made Sela smirk.

It was pretty clear that Papyrus thought the world of Mettaton. Sela had a faint memory of watching some of the monster superstars interviews on the tv when she was laying in the hospital room, and the admittedly glamorous robot monster seemed to have a rather dramatic presence. 

”Ah.. sure. Put the movie on then, lets see if this Mettaton lives up to the expectations, shall we?” 

The skeleton shot up so fast he was just a blur in Sela's eyes as he scrambled for the meager entertainment system Sela had in her livingroom. 

”PREPARE TO BE AMAZED BEYONG YOUR WILDEST DREAMS!” Papyrus declared, dimming the lights by pulling the curtains close on the windows.

 

Oh and amazed she was. After the first travesty of a movie Sela wasn't sure how she should feel about what she just had to live through. She had seen some really crappy movies in the past but this one? If winning was seeing a movie that didn't even come close to the badness of ”Nazis in the center of the Earth” then aguess this movie won by a long shot. 

At least Papyrus was so enamored by the whole clusterfuck that Sela found entertainment in that alone. If she would have had to watch that alone, she would have chucked the dvd somewhere in the general direction of Mt. Ebott and it's many canyons and bottomless pits. 

”Papyrus, as much as I .. enjoyed that, I think I'm getting a bit tired. Maybe a cup of tea would be in order?” Sela just _had to_ distract the enthusiastic skeleton for the moment. She wasn't sure her brain could actually suffer through another movie in the near future. 

”CERTAINLY! YOU JUST SIT TIGHT AND I WILL BREW US SOME!” 

Sela nodded, a long sigh escaping her lips. Papyrus was nice company, but maybe just a bit too much for her right now. This was tiring her out, even if Papyrus was more lighthearted monster than his brother. She missed having her home to her own, a sudden prick of sorrow twisting in her gut. Nothing would be like before, ever again. No matter how many times she came to that realization, it had not yet become a dull ache instead of this red-hot poke in her mind. 

She tried to push the invasive thoughts aside, there wasn't much sense dwelling in the muck but it was hard. With a silenced groan she rubbed her face, trying to wipe the frustration off. When she opened her eyes, there was a steaming teacup held infront of her face and she jumped a bit. How had Papyrus managed to be that quiet or was she just so stuck in her own thoughts?

The monster was watching her closely, a frighteningly serious expression on his bony face that Sela had decided not to try to understand the workings of. Guess she had slowly come to the conclusion that they were monsters, not simply skeletons, thus, working very differently from actual skeletons. 

”DON'T WORRY.. I'M SURE EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT IN THE END. SANS IS QUITE SMART EVEN IF HE SEEMS LIKE A LAZY WRECK MOST OF THE TIME. WE ARE ALL HERE FOR YOU AND THAT IS SOMETHING WORTH CONSIDERING, EVEN FOR SOMEONE LIKE GASTER.” the skeleton took a seat next to her, with his own teacup in his gloved hand.

Sela didn't know what to say. Papyrus grinned, like he seemed to know what she was thinking.

”MANY MIGHT THINK I'M CHILDLIKE AND NOT AS SMART, JUST BECAUSE OF MY.. JOLLY AND EASYGOING NATURE, BUT I ASSURE YOU, NOT MUCH ESCAPES THE OBSERVATION SKILLS OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” he patted her gingerly on the knee. 

”SANS KEEPS SO MUCH THINGS TO HIMSELF, JUST BECAUSE HE THINKS HE'S PROTECTING ME AND SOMETIMES THAT MAKES ME VERY FRUSTRATED.. BUT I DO LOVE A GOOD PUZZLE AFTER ALL. IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE SANS WAS THIS INVESTED IN ANYTHING AND DESPITE THE GRAVE SITUATION, IT MAKES ME HOPEFUL FOR HIM.”

There was a distant look in his sockets, most of the time he didn't seem to have eyelights like Sans did, but from time to time they did show. Now they were very dim, deep in the abyss of his sockets and unfocused. It was a strange look on the normally carefree monster.

”HE MIGHT NOT REALIZE IT, BUT I KNOW HE HAS BEEN SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION FOR A LONG TIME. EVEN WHEN LITTLE FRISK MANAGED TO FINALLY BRAKE THE BARRIER AND WE COULD SEE THE STARS AND THE SUN, HE WAS TOTALLY UNENTHUSED – IT WAS THE WEIRDEST THING.”

”He clearly had a rough past with your.. eh.. Dr. Gaster. It must have affected him alot.” Sela offered, simultaneously weirded out and oddly comforted by Papyrus' sudden seriousness. 

At first she was shocked, but after a while it started to make more sense. Papyrus wasn't a child, even if he seemed to act like one most of the time, he had actual depth to him, he for some reason didn't show to just everyone. Being privvy to it felt nice, like he trusted her more. 

”YES. I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH OF HIM, BUT WHAT I DO REMEMBER, IS SANS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND.. EVERYTIME I SAW HIM, HE WAS DISTANT. HE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A FATHER SHOULD, I THINK. AFTER HE DISAPPEARED AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER HIM AT ALL, SANS WAS A BIT BETTER. THEN IT ALL STARTED TO DO DOWNHILL AGAIN, HE JUST GREW MORE AND MORE DISTANT. NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN ANYTHING.” 

”Do you know what happened to make him act like that?” Sela's interest was sparked. Clearly something had been going on if Sans had been acting odd in the past, even with Gaster gone.

”I DO NOT KNOW. HE NEVER TOLD ME ANYTHING.. BUT.. SOMETIMES I GET THESE NIGHTMARES. I DON'T TELL SANS ABOUT THEM, SINCE HE SEEMED TO HAVE ALOT ON HIS MIND ALREADY.” the lights in Papyrus' eyes disappeared again, making him look a bit more creepy. Seemed that both of the brothers did that when they talked about things they didn't like, even if it was more noticeable with Sans since his eyelights were normally present all the time.

”What kind of nightmares?” 

”I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH OF THEM, JUST THAT I'M DOING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND SOMEHOW IT'S MAKING ME AFRAID. NOT THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD BE NORMALLY SCARED OF ANYTHING, MIND YOU!” Papyrus fumbled with his gloved hands. ”BUT IN THOSE DREAMS I AM, VERY AFRAID.”

”That sounds really terrible, Papyrus, I'm sorry.” Sela squeezed his large hand that dwarfed her own. Seeing the normally so up-beat monster this much stressed was like watching a puppy in distress, not a nice sight at all. 

”THANK YOU, YOU ARE A VERY KIND HUMAN INDEED, I SEE WHY SANS LIKES YOU SO MUCH!” 

Sela almost choked on the sip of tea she was trying to take. A strangled cough shot past her lips. Kind? Eh well, she didn't see herself exactly as a kind person, more of as a grumpy person who didn't really like interracting with people that much. No one had ever described her as kind, ever. And Sans.. liking her? She didn't know what to think about that. Besides, Papyrus didn't know about their uhh.. more sexual encounters, did he? God she hoped not. Just thinking about that brought up a vibrant blush across her face.

She didn't know if Sans even liked her, Sela knew those things had only happened because she had been influenced by something Gaster was culpable of. Not because of his own choice or volition. Or had he had a chance to just not.. do those things? Her blush just deepened. Sans had said that he considered her a friend, hadn't he? He seemed to want to help her, so was there something behind that, more than just the need to for once to do something about things? He had practically blamed himself of most of this mess, it made sense that he felt a sense of duty towards her but.. Did Papyrus see something more in his motivations?

”FROM THE SEVERITY OF YOUR BLUSH I SEE YOU MIGHT LIKE MY WAYWARD BROTHER TOO?” 

Were those sparks again swimming around his eyesockets? .. most definitely. 

”YOU TWO SHOULD GO ON A DATE!” he almost screamed with joy. So much for the more serious discussion..

”Uhh, I'm sure your brother is a nice monster but.. ” 

”YOU TWO CAN'T HIDE YOUR EMOTIONS FOREVER!” Papryus gleefully interrupted, making Sela's blush travel down to her neck.

”Let's just watch the second movie, yeah?” 

”NYEEEEEEH, OF COURSE!”

Sela never imagined having to escape from a conversation by agreeing to subject herself to more of Mettatons horrible acting, non-existant plot, cheap and crappy special effects and just overall badness. Still felt like dodging a bullet, in any case.

 

Penny felt relieved as she loaned her cousins car and drove down the mountain to Ebott city. Sure, the atmosphere and overall energy was much better in the house after the cleanse but being in such a close proximity to a lot of monsters was a bit much. There was just .. _so much magic_ circulating in the air and she had not experienced that before. 

The city was much more peaceful in that aspect. She could still sense the echoes on many things, good and bad, around her, but the techniques she had had to learn back in the day helped her close her senses to a more tolerable stage. She wasn't there to do readings, only to shop for the items they needed for everyday life and food.

After finding a suitably large looking grocery store, she parked the car and made her way inside, grabbing a cart. There weren't many people around but most kept staring at her. Penny smiled to everyone pleasantly. She knew how small towns were, everyone knew each other and anyone who wasn't recognized, was stared at. She ignored the mildly oppressive feeling and started to gather groceries. 

It didn't take long to notice that the people in the store had found something more interesting to ogle at. A monster with an impressive height was doing some shopping too, it seemed. And they were accompanied by a somekind of dog monster, a human soldier by the looks of him and a small child with a flowerpot in their arms. Penny recognized them instantly.

She had watched countless news articles, interviews and clips about the monsters, when they emerged from the mountain. That monster, looking like a goat, was Queen Toriel, with Frisk, the human ambassador, the child that had freed the whole race from their prison. The power eminating from the whole group was like standing infront of a furnace, you could get burned if you weren't careful. 

Penny walked straight up to them and smiled like the sun.

”Hello! I just noticed you and I just had to come and introduce myself!” 

First the soldier and the dog monster both moved themselves infront of Toriel and Frisk, clearly to shield them from a potential danger and the ambassador was staring at her so hard through exaggeratedly narrowed eyes that Penny almost let her smile falter. The kid was clearly very powerful, she could feel all her senses waking up. And that thing they were holding.. Penny squinted a bit. Was that a .. flower? 

The flower spared a shrewd look at her, then scoffed and turned it's face to look pointedly somewhere else. What the hell was that thing even? It wasn't a monster as far as Penny could tell. 

Toriel instead seemed to be much more approachable, smiling warmly at her. 

”Goodness me, child. Not many would come and talk to us, I'm very happy to meet you...?” The soldier and dog monster slid away from Toriels way as the monster extended her white furred hand towards Penny. She took it and marveled how soft the fur was, how warm her touch was, how much power and.. mercy was in her touch. 

”I'm Penny Hammers, you might know my cousin, Sela Blair?” 

”Oh! How wonderful, yes we've met Sela few times!” Toriel smiled wide but the smile seemed to falter a bit mentioning Sela, which was understable, because of her situation.

”Yeah, I came to visit and help her, actually.” The child kept staring at Penny and she just knew that they were listening very closely. They seemed to see into her, like many others who had any magical abilities. Penny was sure to keep her guard up, like always.

”How is she doing? I was told she was let home from the hospital.” Toriel's voice was much more subdued and the worry on her face was clear. 

”She's still recovering but she didn't want to stay there, which I can understand. I'm actually trying to help her with _all the things going on_.” Penny made sure to press the meaning of her words, to gauge how much the monster knew about the situation. 

Toriel looked at her strangely, with her brows furrowed, floppy ears twitching a bit. ”Ah.. I know that she has been attacked, did they find out finally who it was?” 

Both of them noticed Frisk pulling on her sleeve, with a frown on their face. ”Oh, this is Frisk, say hello to Miss Penny.” Toriel patted the childs head with her massive hand.

Penny smiled at Frisk, squatting down the their level. ”Hello Frisk! So you are the courageous dude who freed all of the monsterkind! Pretty damn rad. I'm Penny.” she offered her hand to the child who smirked and shook her hand vigorously. ”And who is your little friend there?” Penny looked at the flower.

The said flower finally turned towards her, with narrowed, beady eyes that just.. oozed hatred. Penny was almost taken aback from the wave of anger that burst forth from the being. 

”I'm Flowey, not that it's _any of your business_.” Floweys voice changed into something menacing, in a clear attempt to be intimidating. The little thing even succeeded, Penny could feel the void of his soul. This thing.. it was alive, speaking, and clearly thinking, but it did not have a soul. Penny had never encountered anything that didn't have a soul, how was it even alive?

There had to be something that kept it going, something that made him seem so void and still it had a personality.. She just stared at the thing for a moment. 

”Rude much, aren't we?” 

Frisk let out an exasperated sigh, clearly this was normal behaviour from the flower. It begged to question why the child was lugging it around.

”I'm so sorry, Flowey isn't very fond of.. anything really.” Toriel offered an apologetic smile as Penny drew up. She could hear Flowey harrumphing loudly at her remark. 

”Heh, that's fine. But regarding your question.. yes we know who attacked her. I think that conversation might be better to have somewhere else. You could come for a coffee or tea, later?” she offered. Penny was sure Sela wouldn't mind if they had already met before.

”That would be wonderful! I'm afraid I probably won't be able to get someone to watch Frisk and Flowey.. ” 

Frisk was signing at the monster and making disapproving faces.

”That's not a problem, I'm sure Papyrus would love to keep them company during our meeting.” Penny smiled as Frisk beamed up at her, she had guessed right then. Flowey grumbled but didn't object. 

”Ah, in that case. I will call later when it would be appropriate to arrive?” 

Toriel and Penny exchanged phone numbers and even Frisk managed to steal her phone to put theirs in there too. After a few more pleasantries they parted ways, delving back into the riveting world of gathering supplies for the household. 

Penny was sure it would be good to have more monsters on their cause, and since Dr. Gaster had been the royal scientist, she was sure Toriel surely had met him many times and might offer some insight. It was better to be well prepared, since the situation was much more complex than Penny had known when she only had her visions. After all, they were only glimpses into the whole mess, not the whole story. 

Satisfied with how the shopping trip turned out, Penny finished and headed back up the mountain. Maybe Sela would have even mellowed out. Penny was still a bit annoyed that the woman had actually accused her of having anything to do with the prank, but she could see why. It wasn't the worst thing ever she had been accused of, after all. Being regularly undermined and her feelings questioned, Penny had learned to hide her more negative feelings rather easily. 

It really was a mystery how the underwear situation had even happened. The skeleton monster sure didn't seem like a likely culprit, with how mortified he'd been. Sans sure seemed like a very interesting character and Penny was very intrigued to find out more about him. 

It did weird her out that the demon thing had actually once been his father. It did make her wonder..  
How was it, that Sela had become so intertwined with the skeleton brothers? Was it all a big coincidense? Her line of work begged to differ on the matter – usually things weren't as random as some people thought they were, but how would that have worked? 

After all, the start of this all had happened such a long time ago. If this all was somehow put into motion with clear intent, it was incredibly well thought out. Penny knew that there were people who could predict the future with some accuracy, but all this? Pretty impressive, not to mention terrifying, if that was the case. Sans hadn't mentioned anything about his father being an all mighty oracle, but who knew. He could have attained that particular ability after his death. 

Penny hoped, that he didn't have that power. If he did, it would be near impossible to stop him from getting what ever he wanted from her poor cousin. 

Even thinking about that made her mouth curl in anger. She would not give up on trying to help. The thought filled her with Determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was rather unable to concentrate on writing today but I did try my best. Writing Papyrus always baffles me and sounds all kinds of off in my head when I read it back. Hope it didn't sound completely shit and if it did, I do apologize -_-


	34. It Takes Some Spine (R)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter, ribbed for your pleasure _wink wonk_

 

”So you just invited Toriel here, without asking me first?” Sela had a tired and pensive look in her eyes that conveyed just how done she seemed to be with her newfound cousin.

”Well.. yes. I didn't think it would be a problem. Did I do bad?” her mouth turned down a bit, looking around the room, to the skeleton monsters that had stilled like statues. It was a disconcerning sight.

A noice of bone scrapping against bone sounded quite loudly in the silence, as Sela was staring Penny and Sans was rubbing his face.

Sans had returned from fixing the surveillance in the labs, finding his brother exitedly going over the Mettaton travesties of movies that he had put Sela through, and the woman seemed absolutely exhausted. Sans could see many reasons to that. And now this?

The monsters had tried to keep the return of Gaster under the wraps from most of the monsters, even Toriel, mainly because Asgore himself had asked for it. He knew that Toriel had never liked Dr. Gaster while he was alive and that in itself was pretty formidable feat to obtain. Toriel usually liked everyone. He didn't want to worry Toriel if it wasn't absolutely needed.

More than that, not one of the people who knew what was really going on, wanted to get caught in keeping things from the ex-Queen. The ire she would most likely display, at all of them, was not something they were looking forward to experiencing. 

Not that Toriel didn't know something was horribly wrong. She had seen and felt Gasters transformed, darkened magic herself. She had tried to heal the effects laid upon Sela few times and Sans could only imagine what the gentle-at-heart woman felt about it. She would probably be beside herself if she gained the full knowledge of the situation.  
”Penny.. ya might mean well but there are things ya just don't know about the dynamics at hand..” Sans tried carefully. Sela nodded with a sigh. 

”You lot can't say that she wouldn't be a good ally in this?” 

”She already IS an ally, but we don't want to pull her completely into this..” Sans was beginning to see Penny as an incredibly wild card, someone who acted rashly and that didn't bode well at all to his sensibilities. ”She already has alot on her plate as a mother to Frisk and trying to keep an eye on Flowey. What do you think she will do, once she learns what kind of a monster is running _free_ around the mountain and Stars know where?” 

Penny just hummed thoughtfully. Something Sans immeadiately thought she oughto do more – be thoughtful.

”At least you should have asked me, Penny. I'm the one here being attacked. Do you really think I like to go over that, again and again?” 

Penny nodded, her mouth turned even more down. ”For that, I'm truly sorry, Sela. I should've thought about that.. I just.. I want to make sure that we do everything we can!” she turned her gaze to Sans, with a bit of certain fire in her eyes. ”Besides, I have a hard time thinking that pulling the wool over her eyes on this matter is appropriate either!” 

Sans almost growled low in response but held himself back. He was way too tired and worried himself from all the knowledge he had found out today. He could just feel his own magic swirling anxiously inside his ribcage and Papyrus clapped a hand over his shoulder gingerly. He knew his brother felt the turmoil inside him clearly. Papyrus was regarding him with a surprised and chiding expression and he felt a small, blue blush forming on his cheekbones. 

Even Sela spared a quick, fleetingly worried look at him. Oh yes, the tentative bond between them enabled her to sense much, much more from him, too. Just great. Sans let out a long breath. 

”It's something we all agreed upon, after Asgore asked for it.” Sans let his words sink in for a moment and Penny had the sense to look abashed a little. 

There were even things that Asgore was not aware of.. but now? After finding out that Gaster was actually running around in the Underground to some extent – there had to be much more movement he was doing, if Flowey had ran into him. Sans had a feeling it was only the tip of the iceberg. Besides, having now fixed all the cameras in the lab, they had found out that they had been used, rather recently. He had to make time to talk to the King.

After checking the timestamps and the programs from Alphys' central surveillance terminal, it was clear that Gaster had been watching them when they were in the lab. Expressly on the day they had done the test on Sela's soulbarrier. The day they had actually.. Sans went rigid, trying to suppress another flare in his magic. Papyrus shot him another weirded out look and Sela shivered in response. 

”I suppose withdrawing the invitation would raise even more questions..” Sela concluded, her face set with resignation and Sans knew she was right. Toriel would not give up on finding out the truth if they started to skirt around it again. The earlier lying straight to her face had already felt like Sans had committed a deadly sin, at least. He could not do that twice in a day.

”I will have to talk to Asgore anyway, too. There's something else ya oughto know..” Sans relayed what he had found out from Flowey, and the following visit down to the lab to them. 

Penny was listening raptly, her eyes flashing with realisation. ”So if Flowey just remembered the doctor on his own, wouldn't Toriel had done just the same thing at some point? Is that something that could happen to anyone who ever knew anything about him?” 

”..damn.” he was surprised he himself hadn't thought about that. He hoped that wasn't the case but there was no way to know. There could be a multitude of monsters already remembering him – his achievements in building the Core and all the other things that had benefitted the monsters. 

Even more than that, not everyone who knew about Dr. Wing Dings Gaster, knew about his darker sides. To some, he was actually a visionary, a hero. The thought brought a bad taste to his mouth and he scowled at his hands. And if monsters started to remember him, they would also realize that he had vanished – that _something_ had happened to him. 

”I need to make a call.” Sans got up and fished out his cell. The faster he talked to Asgore, the faster they could get information out for monsters to keep an eye out – to keep safe. He suppressed the urge to slap himself upside the head for all his stupidity. Monsters needed to know the doctor was back, but that he was not safe. 

Having to admit to himself, that Penny was right in the sense that it was wrong to pull wool over peoples eyes, was a hard thing to swallow. Sans quickly forced the feelings down and pressed the call button on Asgores number.

 

”Asgore agreed that putting a notice out to everyone about the Doc was something that was needed. He wasn't happy about it but.. nothing about this is exactly cheerful.” Sans concluded, after coming back from the porch, where he had wandered to make the call. 

”Toriel called and she will be coming around in about an hour.” Sela sighed. She was still seated comfortably on the sofa, her injured leg propped on the livingroom coffee table on a pillow. She looked tense, but still so resigned to her faith that it made Sans' bones ache. He could feel the emotion flowing from her, the weariness and a bit of annoyance. 

”Well.. Sorry again.. ” Penny wrung her hands but with a sigh of her own, she donned a determined smile and turned to Papyrus. ”I'll bake something to serve when she gets here.. Wanna help me, Papyrus?” 

Judging by the screetch of absolutely joy that was ripped from the taller skeletons non-existant throath, he was more than happy to help. Sans watched him scramble towards the kitchen with a wry smile. He was sure Penny had no idea how much it meant to Papyrus to be asked like that. Or maybe she did. He still didn't trust her, but it was hard to imagine Penny drawing up a knife and.. 

Ah, best not to think about things like that, Sans thought to himself as he sat beside Sela, who was giving him a suspicious look. 

”What's with you today?” 

He watched her carefully. He didn't think of himself as someone who was that easy to read, but Sela seemed to have some hidden talent for it – despite the connection they had. Sans was already positively exhausted from this day, he had used far more of his magic than he could think he had in a long time and he still managed to be filled with nervous energy. It was something that almost never happened. It seemed to be clear to Sela too. 

He almost wanted to just blow her off and feign nonchalance, but he could just imagine how that would go with her. Sela was easy to annoy, easy to rile up, especially with that kind of behaviour. How would she react this time? Maybe he should try to lighten up the mood. It was such a temptating thought. 

Sans easily slipped on a relaxed smile and leaned against the sofa, raising his hands behind his skull.

”Well, today I've met with Alphys, Frisk, Flowey, you lot.. Lots of people you know. So, more accurate would be, who's with me today.” 

”Smartass.” she huffed, narrowing her eyes.

”Ya know, a _no body_ like me can't have a smart ass.”

Her eyes narrowed further, her whole frame oozing with vexation.

”Yeah, scratch that. You're just an ass.” 

”So.. ya saying I'm actually an.. _hard ass_?” He scraped his vertabra for emphasis and grinned wider when Sela's eye twitched. 

”Keep that up and I'll say you want to check out the newest Mettaton movie to Paps. It's 2 hours and 15 minutes _long_.” Sela smiled viciously.

Sans' eyesockets widened in surprise and he slapped a hand on his sternum with a gasp. ”Ya wound me, doll.” 

”Watching that movie wounded me.” 

”Did ya know, that the only thing that we could watch on tv in the Underground was his shows? Just Mettaton, all day – every day, no fibula.” Sans' grin spread as Sela's expression fell and a shudder went through her. 

”Jesus.. I don't know how you all survived..” she rubbed her temples with a pained expression. ”Sitting through two of his movies was bad enough already.” 

”ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE GREATNESS THAT IS METTATON??” Papyrus leaned in from the kitchen, oven mittens over his already gloved hands. His smile was so big, it looked like his skull might split any second.

Sela got an mischievous glint in her eyes and Sans tried to shake his head discreetly at her. _Please don't._

”Yeah, was just telling your brother here how _enjoyable_ the longer movie was, he seemed _really_ interested!” Sela grinned, something that Sans didn't think he had ever witnessed. She looked absolutely devilish. ”After all it was a riveting experience.” 

”THAT IS WONDERFUL NEWS, SELA! SANS! WE CAN WATCH THE FILM TOGETHER TONIGHT, AFTER EVERYTHING A LITTLE RELAXATION WILL BE IN ORDER!”

For a moment it looked like there were no lights present in Sans' eyesockets, but this time Sela didn't feel the chill that usually ran down her spine when seeing it. She extended her hand, patting the skeletons knee lightly. ”I'm sure he would just _love_ that, Papyrus.” a small smile playing on her lips. 

”OF COURSE! IN FACT, SINCE YOU SEEMED TO BE POSITIVELY BLOWN AWAY BY METTATONS ACTING, I HAVE A MINISERIES METTATON HAS ALSO PRODUCED, WRITTEN AND ACTED OUT HIMSELF THAT WE COULD WATCH TOGETHER TONIGHT!”

The devilish grin on Sela's face died and was born again on Sans' face, like a cursed phoenix rising from the ashes. Sela swallowed thickly. 

”Oh that sounds great, bro! That way Sela won't have to be _bonely_ tonight.” 

Sela's mouth opened but she couldn't make any sound. She tried to, as hard as she could, but nothing came out. The way that Papyrus lit up with happiness and those sparkly little stars, she couldn't say no to that face. 

Papyrus' eyes boggled out in a furious way that made Sela choke a bit. ”PUNS WILL BE FORBIDDEN!!!”

Sans raised his arms in defeat, apologetic smile stretching his mouth, but there was an underlying mirth there, that didn't go unnoticed by Sela. She could see how his eyelights were flashing ominously, in a way that told her just how badly her own attempt at inconviniencing him had backfired.

No rest for the wicked.

 

The relatively good mood blew over way too fast, when Toriel arrived with Frisk and Flowey. Papyrus took them outside to play, with a promise they could come in for snacks and cookies that Penny had baked with Paps, later. 

Sela eyed Flowey with narrowed eyes, as Frisk carried the little flower around their house before they went, just waiting for the annoying thing to hurl insults at her, but oddly enough, he didn't. Flowey even gave her a look that seemed rather uncharacteristic for him, it wasn't a scowl, or a sneer. Just a look that felt.. not pitying, but more understanding. 

Imagining the flower running into Dr. Gaster in the labs in the middle of the night brought a chill down her spine. Sela wondered how Flowey had managed to dodge being killed, if Gaster had truly tried that? It was weird to think that at the moment Flowey was the only one that had actually met him face to face after his re-appearance. Grillby had seen him from afar and had seemed rattled by even that. 

As the children followed Papyrus outside, Sela indicated to the few armchairs that were spaced out in the livingroom. She certainly didn't want to go sit in the kitchen – with her recent memories of the violation and for the harder chairs there that would not feel forgiving on her healing wounds. Penny brought the cookies, tea and coffee to them. 

”I see you have patched things up with Sans, this is good news.” Toriel smiled warmly at her and Sans, who was still sitting next to her. 

Sela couldn't help the blush on her face, but she tried to ignore the hitch upwards in the motherly monsters smile. It wasn't a secret by any means that she had not wanted anything to do with Sans after the incident that landed her in the hospital, but it still felt like it was personal – something that no one other should have been worried about. To know that Toriel had been thinking at all about their strained relations was odd. 

”Hard to stay mad at someone who refuses to leave me alone.” Sela made a face at Sans, who just chuckled amicably. 

”Indeed it is.” There was a teasing lilt in Toriel's voice that surprised her. 

”It is nice to see you are doing better.. and I hate to bring the mood down, but I heard that you now know who attacked you?” She looked apologetic for the loaded question, but it was clear she was eager to know the truth.

”Yes.. I.. It's Gaster.” Sela breathed out, nervousness making her whole posture rigid. It was hard to say it out loud and to everyone's utter surprise, Toriel seemed wholly non-plussed. 

”I know.” she said, vehemence in her lowered voice. She let her cool, violet gaze move to Sans and Penny. Sans' browbones shot up, and Penny let out a small ”oh..”

”You youngsters don't think I can't put one and one together, or hear anything. You are not as secretive, as you might hope to be.” she smiled, though it was sad and there was an edge to her voice. ”I was merely waiting for you to actually want to tell me. I was getting disappointed it took this long.” The rebuke was clear in her words and Sans looked thoroughly embarrassed.

”It was mostly because Asgore..” Sans started carefully.

”Oh, I know that too. It is not certainly the first time that Asgore has tried to keep things from me, but he should know that I always, _always_ find out. And you, Sans, certainly didn't need his permission to come clean about that, and you know it.” 

Sans looked absolutely chastened, his posture slouching and eyelights dimming. 

It was the first time Sela saw a harder side of Toriel, and admittedly it did scare her a bit. It was hard to believe that this.. radiantly motherly and warm monster could manage this amount of regal and hardened air, but here they were. Being scolded by the all-mother herself, it felt.

Penny had regained her composure fastest, looking at Sans with a satisfied 'I told you so' look on her face. Sela shot her a disapproving look, it was no time to feel high and mighty now. The other woman toned it down with a shrug.

”'m sorry, Tori. It seems I've.. underestimated alot of things lately. There's no excuse for that, really.” Sans managed to mutter. 

”You were always one to clam up and try and be secretive, Sans. It is not good for your soul, or anyones, for that matter.” 

Sans just hummed an answer that no one could really make out. Sela could understand that was a sore point for the skeleton. He did carry alot of guilt and since she herself had seen his soul and the state it was in, it was very clear to her, there was _alot_ more brewing under the surface that he kept under the wraps. It seemed that the monsters that knew him sensed that in some way too. 

It did feel bad, seeing him put on a spot like that, and Sela cleared her throath. ”Well. I don't know if there's anything really, that you could do. Guess Penny was just trying to get as much people on the bandwagon against that thing. You've seen what he can do, and I've been told you knew him before.” 

”I always felt that Asgore made a mistake in giving him such power over the scientific department – he should have kept a closer eye to him. He was brilliant, but the coldest monster I had ever had the displeasure to know.” Toriel's eyes flashed with distaste as she remembered the doctor. It was a strange look on her normally warm exterior. ”But now? He must have gone from bad to worse. I do have to admit, I do not understand how a monster that seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth is now back.”

Penny perked at that and took a quick breath, before anyone else managed to say anything. ”It seems he has managed to actually become something else entirely! You could even say that he has become a demonic force.” 

Toriel's brows knitted together, her hand faltering and almost dropping the teacup she was lowering on the table. ”What?!”

”He didn't just disappear. He died, he disintegrated, was picked apart – gone.” Sans growled.

The heated hatred in his words was a rumble in the room, making the hairs on Sela's hands stand up on end. 

”Sans, did you have something to do with that?” the old monsters voice was careful, like she was trying to handle something that could brake any minute, and in a way, that was exactly the case. 

”Yes.” 

Toriel's gaze could have drilled through a mountain, but Sans did not divulge anything else. After few minutes of total, loaded silence, she sighed tiredly.

”How is he back then? How has he managed this.. descent?” she asked.

”We don't know the whole of it, but it had to start somewhere. My best guess is, with a part of Sela's soul.” Sans looked to Sela, who just nodded. He wasn't sure if Sela wanted to retell everything that had happened in the past. It was her call.

Toriel gasped, her hand flying to her sternum, right where her own soul would be and Sans could feel the emphatetic pulse that flared in her. ”Oh, sweetheart..”

”It is what it is. Not like I can feel it.” Sela spoke gruffly, she didn't want pity. Pity just made her feel more like a victim than she already felt, and she hated that feeling with a passion. It made her feel small, voiceless and unable to fight back in any way and it was hard already as it was.  
”Oh, but that is not the case now, is it? Your soul reflects your well-being and with a part missing.. it must affect you. Any damage straight in your soul is a dangerous thing, even for a human.” 

”I have lived with it unknowingly my whole life, it's not like I can just grow it back, can I?” there was a fire burning in Sela's eyes, making them flare to life, even if it was with anger and resentment. 

”A soul _can_ right itself. It just takes alot of work.” Toriel said softly, stealing a small look to Sans, who blushed vibrantly. 

Sela was too occupied with thinking thousand miles a minute to notice, trying to figure out what Toriel meant, that a soul could right itself? It sounded like maybe therapy and good things happening and Sela already knew that therapy for her had never worked prior, and good things? She almost let out a desperate laughter at her own thoughts. That would not be happening any time soon. She was still in danger, still pursued by the demon breathing down her back. 

For all she knew, he could kill her at the end of this all and everything would be in vain. Maybe she should just give up and give the rest of her soul to the bastard and be done with it, no one would have to be drawn into this mess and the world would go on. Without her in it. The pressure in her chest became worse, threatening to affect her breathing. She was nothing special. Why should anyone fight this for her? 

Sela came to to Sans taking her hand, squeezing it slightly. His eyelights roamed across her face, worried, only small pinpoints in the darkness of his sockets. ”Breathe..” he whispered.

She tried to, but it didn't come easy. Sela felt her heart was hammering, _aching_. Or was it her soul?  
Suddenly she felt so tired, completely spent.

”I think she needs a moment.” Sans supplied for her, and she nodded, unable to say anything. 

”Of course, my child. Please, I know this whole subject is not easy on you.” Toriel's voice was filled with warmth and reassurance. ”Take your time, this is your home after all.”

”I need to lay down for a little bit, if you don't mind.” Sela managed to say, trying to get up from the sofa, that had started to feel too constricting. She needed to be alone for a moment, maybe sneak a quick nap in.

Toriel nodded understandingly and Sans helped her up from her position, letting her use him as a crutch to get back to the study that now served as her bedroom. She was too tired to care about the close proximity of Sans, his bones sturdy and sure as he lead her onward.

He let her on the bed carefully and left her to ruminate on the feeling that was blooming in her chest. ”Call if ya need anything, kiddo.” Sans called from the door.

”I'm not a kid.” 

”I know.” Sans chuckled and closed the door, leaving it open just a smidgen.

 

Toriel, Penny and Sans retreated to the kitchen, keeping their voices low.

”She's doing a bit better but I can't imagine it being easy.” 

”Mm. Nothing about this situation is easy.”

”Is there any knowledge why the Doctor chose her?” 

”I don't think he really did. Maybe it was just an opportunity that presented itself, which he took.”

”Could he have planned it? I don't really believe in coincidense..”

”It was a long time ago.. if he did, then that's beyond my understanding.” 

”The Doctor was always cunning and calculating. It may not be completely out of the realm of possibility, since we are already pushing the boundary here.” 

”We don't know what his endgoal is. Without that tidbit it's a bit hard to descipher.” 

”Well, to my knowledge demonic forces strive to consume their chosen victim and their life. That would mean the whole soul too. But they can't do that in one go – they do it bit by bit, until nothing is left.”

”He's not gonna get jack shit from her anymore.”

”That's why we all are here for her.”

”Agreed.”

 

The conversation flowed a bit more freely now that she was resting up. Even with Sans and Penny clearly having some issues between them, they were both set on the same page in Toriel's eyes – helping Sela. 

They talked about the efforts already made to thwarth Gaster's hold on the house, the machine Sans and Alphys had built, on the knowledge that Penny had about forces that would be considered demonic. It was still somewhat unsure what the late Doctor had actually become, since Penny had not ever heard of anyone actually going straight demonic. She seemed to think that those forces only existed and had always existed – that there was no way she knew how anyone could manage what Gaster had done to himself. 

It was a harrowing realisation, really. It made the efforts they had taken seem a little more precarious. They would just have to wait and see if they would prove to be useful at all. The thought that they might be against something that was actually unprecedented was daunting. How to fight against something that you didn't know how it could be hurt? 

Toriel pitched in in the talk about trying to keep everyone safe from the Doctor, if he was moving freely about. She agreed with Sans on the matter of not putting up guards in the Underground, there was no need to put monsters into such a danger without any further knowledge on Gaster. It was agreed that surveillance for now would have to do, until they could come up with a better solution.

Sela would not be left alone, so that they could monitor her if any of Gaster's influence would creep back up. Sans filled Toriel in on the soulconfrontation, that at least there were no noticiable marks on her soul that would indicate that. But that also meant that Gaster would probably try to replenish his magic on the woman sooner rather than later. The fact that it had been this silent up until now made everyone's spine crawl with cold shivers. Anything could happen at any given moment.

At least everything that they did know, was on the table now. Asgore would inform the monsterkind that the Doctor was back and that he was not in his right mind, which in Sans' mind was mildly put, but if it was said like that, there would be less to explain. 

The labs would be heavily surveilled, as would most of the Underground, since Alphys had put up cameras all over long time ago. Sans and her would just have to hook them back up and get some people to actually look at the feeds at all time. The dog units would do fine for that, as they were an observant bunch anyway. 

Before long Papyrus burst back in with Frisk and Flowey in tow, coming for the spoils. Keeping Papyrus from making too much noise was not an easy task normally, but the younger skeleton was very aware of how Sela needed her rest and managed to keep it down on a level that would not disturb her. 

Frisk seemed disappointed that she wasn't up, but didn't dwell on it. They knew she was not well and they drew a colorful 'get better soon' card for her with the coloring pencils they spied from her livingroom. 

It could have been such a normal, family oriented moment between them all, if the situation wouldn't have been what it was.

 

After most everyone had left for their homes, even Alphys and Undyne had popped by to deliver the energymachine to hum quietly in the corner of the foyer, Sela was still deep in sleep. She hadn't woken up at all, even when the scents of food permiated the whole house. 

Sans had to convince Papyrus that Sela would not probably be able to watch that Mettaton series tonight at all, and even if he was a bit sad for that, Papyrus understood. There would be other nights to share his joy for the monster star. With a supressed shiver Sans agreed to that. It would be something to 'look forward to' – for better and for worse. Mostly for the worse.

”WILL YOU COME HOME TONIGHT, BROTHER?” Papyrus asked, while putting away the dishes from the supper.

”Nah. I'm _bone_ tired. Gonna keep watch over our resident sleeping beauty.” he winked slowly to the taller skeleton. 

It was a close call, Papyrus' eyes almost bugged out with the casual and admittedly worn out pun, but he seemed to slide right into a conspiratory, sly grin. That made Sans take a double take on his brother, his browbones lowering. What was up with his brother?

”SO YOU THINK SELA IS BEAUTIFUL, HUH?” Papyrus' grin widened just so, as Sans fought the flush of magic on his face. 

”Uhhuh, sure, bro.” 

”NYEHEHEHHE, I KNEW IT.” 

”What's that, Paps?”

”NOTHING.” The skeleton just grinned wider, if possible, and in that Sans sure did recodnize himself in him. 

Sans just huffed and shood his little brother home. Penny had already retired upstairs, so at least he didn't have to deal with her being all shitty about what Paps had said. He hoped she hadn't heard, but as he went to Sela's room, he could hear a tell-tale snicker from the top of the stairs. He grumbled to himself and closed the door. 

Sela was still asleep, her mouth slightly ajar, hair mussed, in a soft looking halo around her head. The room smelled of her and sleep. With a sigh Sans settled to the armchair, throwing a prayer to the universe that he would not wake up draped in her underwear again. 

After few minutes Sela turned, muttering to herself and cracking open one eye.

”What do you think you're doing?” Her voice was rough from the sleeping, half silenced by the pillow.

”Gonna keep watch. Go back to sleep.”

”That's no place to sleep.” 

”It's fine. Not the worst place I've fallen asleep in, believe me.” he chuckled.

”You gonna get a kink in your neck.” Sela was yawning, fighting to keep talking.

”Are ya seriously suggesting I don't already have a kink or few in my neck?” Sans wiggled his eyebrows, eliciting an annoyed huff from the woman.

”Asshole. There's room on the bed.” 

Sans felt the blush on his face, he could even see it, lighting the room up subtly.

”I don't have a assh..”

”sshaddup..” She was halfway back asleep already, making a vague gesture with her hand for him to come to the bed. 

Well, who was he to tell her no? Sans got up slowly and moved next to Sela, who's breathing had already evened out, signaling her falling back asleep. Would she had asked for him to sleep next to her if she had been completely awake? Sans didn't know and he didn't want to delve into that thought right now. He would've been lying to himself, if he didn't admit that his soul pulsed with ..something as he laid next to her sleeping form. 

Maybe he was an asshole for feeling that, but he couldn't help it. 

It didn't take long for him to actually slip into sleep too, listening to her calm breathing.

 

He woke back up in the middle of the night, something feeling not quite right.

His bones and joints were glowing more angrily by the second, something explicitly burning travelling along his spine, making his breath short and hitch. Oh god, that felt.. A small movement from behind him caused his whole body to stiffen. Sela sighed into his neck, the warm, almost scortching breath making a drop of sweat roll down his skull.

He could feel her warm, soft, incredibly silky feeling hands sliding against his spine, the other hand travelling slowly but surely inside his ribcage. His soul pulsed violently with carnal need as her nails scraped ever so lightly against the bones there. Her other hand, _oh for fucks sake_ , it was curling and snagging against his lower spine, pulling him closer to her and he had to really, really fight his voice to not let out a loud groan. 

As Sela sighed again, rubbing herself against his back in her sleep, he could feel his cock straining against his shorts, demanding attention. Oh hell no. It was getting harder and harder (he almost giggled at his unintended pun out loud) to ignore how Sela's warm body felt, how her hands caressed his bones, even if she was totally asleep. Or was she??

Sans tried to sneak a peek of her face, but she was tucked so closely to him, her face against his scapula, christ, he could feel her soft lips against it, the deep breaths she was taking, travelling down to his ribs, inside them. 

Again her nails scraped against his spine and he couldn't help the suppressed jolt and sharp intake of breath. She must have felt his soul _burning_ with desire, because in her sleep, she let out a half whine, half moan, that made Sans' head spin. He wouldn't be able to hold back for long. He had to get out, wake her. Something.

Carefully he tried to twist himself out of the hold Sela had on him, but her hands tightened just a little on his spine, a soft but disagreeing ”mmmmnnn” sounding against him. Christ, she wasn't making this easy, what so ever.

Sans ground his teeth, grimacing, as his soul pulsed again with pleasure, wanting to just topple Sela, take her and .. and what? He tried to clear the fog from his skull. She would never let him do that if she was awake. He needed to wake her. Make her understand what she was doing!

His control was crumbling by the minute, an animalistic need raging through him, not unlike the time down in the labs... maybe not the most perfect time to remember that, he realized, as his mouth salivated, tongue curling inside against his teeth.

Before he totally lost his cool, he grabbed Sela's hands, wrentching them from his spine, turning to her, with her hands still in his own, pushing over her, caging her to the bed. The way her breasts pushed against his sternum made the growl finally spill over, and Sela's eyes shot open.

For a second they were unfocused, sleepy, but they soon fixated on Sans' burning eyelights, taking in his haggard expression, the almost angry way he was leering down at her. Her mouth fell open a little, making it incredibly hard for Sans to keep in place. He wanted nothing more than to steal her breath, kiss those lips. 

”wha.. what..?” she managed to whisper, and it sounded so much like a moan that Sans shuddered against her, making her squirm in return.

”Your hands.. you were.. touching my spine.. inside my ribs..” Sans' voice was rough, low, halfway a growl that made a shiver run through Sela, that Sans could clearly feel.

Sela's eyes widened with the realisation that she herself had gotten handsy in the dark. Did she really want to start this.. now? She worried her lower lip between her teeth and Sans _growled_ again, making something inside her flare with a vengeance. 

”Do ya have _any idea_ what ya make me feel..?” The flare that his eyelights produced made her soul pulse in turn and paired with his heated words, the low grumble of his voice, her sensibilities were eroding away, fast.

Did she have to hold on to them? Sela vacillated with her own morals, trying to find reasons, to find anything to hold on to. But the way Sans was still holding her against the bed, her hands in his, that ravenous gaze that pierced her right down to her soul, the way his sharp canines glinted in the low light.. 

”Why don't you show me then?” she threw the challenge at the skeleton above her. 

Sans crashed his mouth to hers in an instant, a low rumble sounding somewhere deep in his chest, making her whole body burn in turn. Sela bit into the lower ridge of bone that made his lips somehow, his glowing tongue darting out to swipe greadily at her own lips. 

Simultaneously his knee delved between her legs, parting them and the skeleton slid with fluid motion against her, far more intimately. She moaned when she felt the bulge in his shorts grind against her in a heady, deliberately slow movement. The burning twinge of arousal was immediate and made her stomach tighten delightfully. 

The kiss broke for a second, as Sans' eyelights searched her face, his blue flush on his face glowing and making her own blush noticeable. ”..are ya sure?” 

His voice was still rough, but the sheer consideration, a promise that she could stop him at any point was making her soul pulse with sudden warmth that Sela hadn't felt in a long time. There was a choice, there was a way out. They weren't being forced into anything. They both wanted it, equally.

The tight roll of emotion inside Sela's chest threatened to spill out, she could feel a whisper of mist gathering in her eyes. ”.. _yes_.”

He relented on her hands, sliding his own down to her shoulders, the touch electrifying her every nerve on the way. The kiss, that followed was much gentler, but deeper, his tongue brushing against hers, twisting deftly and making her heartrate pick up. 

Sela shivered with delight, as his other hand tucked beneath her behind her back, the other hand travelling to her side, her hip, pulling her closer to him, if possible. She could feel the wild and steady pulsing of his soul against her chest.

Another roll of his hips and the hard lenght of his member pressed against her own clothed slit. It was almost too much, clouding her mind with raw lust, but she also wanted to savour this. There was no hurry. 

Sela moaned into Sans' mouth, making him response with a groan of his own. His hand at her hip tightened some.

Sans broke the kiss, panting and watching her with such.. reverence that it made her head swim. He pushed himself up, drawing up Sela's shirt, yanking it carefully over her head, mindful of the wounds and various healing scrapes. For a moment Sela felt embarrassed, her hands creeping up over her breasts, but Sans took her hands, tutting softly and laying them to her sides, leaving her upper body open and vulnerable.

His mouth was slightly open, the blue sheen of his tongue glowing through, highlighting his canines in a smile that was positively lascivious. ”..so soft..” Sans whispered, as his hands slid across her stomach, up to cup her breasts, nipples perking at the attention they were given, his thumbs ghosting over them first, then rolling into them, pinching with his fingers.

Sela could not keep in the stuttering sigh, her hips rolling into the lenght still tucked against her. She could feel it twitch deliciously and her own pussy pulsing with similar need. The brightly burning eyelights in Sans' sockets rolled into his skull for a moment, his breath hitching. 

”You're not making it easy to control m'self here..” his exasperated grumble made another pulse go through Sela's whole lower body. The need for friction was starting to really eat at her. 

”..good.” she smirked, looking straight to his eyes, that widened a fraction. 

”.. god damn..” Sans huffed, grabbing her leg, still very mindful of the longer wounds at the back of her thighs, but Sela couldn't honestly even feel them right now as the different burning in her belly took the forefront of her mind.

With a small struggle he pulled her underwear up her legs and slipped them off completely. Infruriatingly slowly his hands crept up her thighs, towards her center. Sans let his left hand slide up to her midriff, leaving it there, as the other finally made contact with her pussy. 

Sela keened softly, as his phalanges slid effortlessly down to her opening, dipping inside only a little. 

”Ahh.. so wet already.. let's see if I can make ya _dripping_..” 

Sans rubbed his thumb against her clit in enticing circles that made her work hard to keep breathing, one of his fingers dipping inside her, the drag against her walls sweet and still not enough. When he added another finger inside, Sela couldn't help but raise her hand to her lips, the coil in her starting to wind.. wind.. tighter, threatening to spring already.

A surprised mewl fell from Sela's lips, as he curled his fingers a little bit, hitting into a spot that had her coming even more undone under him. A bead of sweat rolled down his face from the willforce he had to use to not just pull out his cock and pound into her, he _would make sure_ she was prepared. 

Few more pumps into her and her muscles inside her gripped his fingers so hard it was hard to move at all. Sela's eyes had screwed shut, mouth open and her hands clasped to her breasts. Sans could feel the rush of her juices coating his fingers and another possessive growl tumbled out of him. 

He ripped his own shirt off, and kicked his shorts off too, rubbing patiently Sela's slit to bring her down softly from the orgasm. He couldn't help but grab his own erection in his free hand, doing few distracted pumps up and down. 

Finally Sela seemed to come to, her eyes heavily lidded and breathing still labored, her eyes flitted from his face to his erection in hand and widened and god damn if that didn't make his soul flash and a soft growl grind out of him.

”Still sure?” his voice faltered with the heady look that she was giving him, just making sure, still. Sela raised her hands to his ribs, grabbing them and the nails scraping against his bones making him twitch.

” _Sans_ , please.. ”

Sans chuckled, thoroughly pleased how she said his name and brought the hand he had pleased her with to his mouth, cleaning the fingers with his tongue, keeping a deliberate eyecontact with Sela. The woman shuddered, pulling him closer on his ribs, wordlessly demanding more. He could oblige, indeed, with pleasure. 

He scooted a little closer, lining himself to her core, pushing in slowly. Sela gasped, she was tightening around only his head already. With a labored grunt he continued to push further in and the silky wetness that embraced him made his breath catch. It took a moment for him to notice her stuttering breathing, the pained expression on her face.

With great effort he slowed, letting her adjust to him. ”Ya alright there? Something wrong?” 

”.. ahh.. just.. feels so different, I.. I.. gimme a moment..” Her voice was strained, eyes wet with moisture that was somewhere halfway tears. Sans' soul fluttered, a part of him feeling awful for hurting her in any way, another, more dark side pleased how she was reacting to him. How he _could make her come apart so easily_. Sans stomped down on the darker streak of himself, feeling like a complete asshole for feeling like that even for a second. 

Instead he stilled completely, slowly massaging Sela's sides and hips with his hands, kissing and licking her throath and neck tenderly. Slowly, very slowly he could feel her muscles starting to give up on the vice grip, all of her body melting to his administrations and he started to move equally carefully. Pushing further in, finally hilting, letting out a breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding. 

With a soft mewl Sela started to move too, rolling her hips to him, making his cock drag slightly out and in, in a gingerly set pace. For a moment he didn't dare to move, afraid of hurting her if he moved too eagerly. Until her hand slipped down to his lower spine, just near where his pelvis bone started, he lost the control he was trying to keep. With a snarl he gripped her hips, driving himself back in,  
hard. 

” _Oh god!_ ” Sela gasped, and Sans could feel her tensing up, but in a wholly different way. That was his que as much as anything. He set a slow but deep rhythm, Sela's wails as a guide to angle his thrusts just right. It didn't take long for her to come undone again, trembling in his arms, whispered curses flowing past his own lips as he catched hers in a firm kiss. 

He fucked her through her second orgasm, pushing her into a third one fast approaching as he nibbled on her neck and shoulders, biting only gently, even if there was that part of him that wanted to mark her, badly. That would have to wait for another time.

As she finally came down from her third high, Sans could feel his own completion drawing near, with Sela utterly spent and gasping for air, looking already thoroughly fucked, he picked up his pace. Sela's hands hung onto him, like he was a lifeline in a storm. 

Sela was reeling, his new, faster pace was starting to build a new orgasm inside her that she didn't think she could take. She was wordless against the monster pounding into her, but as he quickly picked up her leg, pushing it against her, changing the position, he brushed against something completely new in her. 

Her airy keening seemed to spur him on even more, striking a lightning through her whole body. Sela grasped for him, pulling herself flush against his ribs, latching her teeth to his collarbone, which became shortly his undoing, an ardent groan rising from him. She could feel her own orgasm crash over her with the way he was still pounding the last of his magic into her.

It took a long time to come down, the room filled with the sounds of panting and shifting of the sheets, as Sans laid beside her, draping her listless body over his. 

”Don't ever grope my spine again if you're not ready for that.” his voice was filled with teasing laughter, a low rumble.

”Duly noted.” Sela whispered, but Sans could hear the smile, rather than see it. His sockets were already drifting close after such a rigorous work-out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something to look at too - I actually drew the scene where Sela accidentally gets handsy! 
> 
> [https://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/post/171222965350/please-dont-spinegrope-the-skeleton-or-do](url)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, fellow sinners. 
> 
> I have fallen to the pit, hard. Come rejoice the sins with me - you can find me in here, where I post fanart and sins and.. all that.  
> [http://hibernalbeast.tumblr.com/](url)


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